NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid probe arrived at its target, a large space rock known as Bennu, in early December. The spacecraft’s mission will take several years to complete, but it hit a major milestone to close out 2018 by entering orbit around Bennu. It might not sound like much, but it’s actually a major accomplishment for NASA, and it’s set a couple of new records in the process.
As AP reports, the probe’s successful maneuver to enter orbit around Bennu makes it the first spacecraft to orbit a celestial object so small. At only around 1,600 feet in diameter, it’s the smallest object ever to be successfully orbited, and OSIRIS-REx’s close orbital distance of just over a mile is also record-breaking.
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NASA’s asteroid probe just entered orbit around Bennu in a record-breaking maneuver originally appeared on BGR.com on Tue, 1 Jan 2019 at 18:04:09 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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