It’s been over 7 years since NASA launched a spacecraft intended to retrieve samples from an Asteroid. A few weeks ago the sample successfully landed in the Utah desert and was just partially opened by NASA scientists. Inside is the largest asteroid sample ever returned to Earth. Initial scientific returns are promising, showing that Bennu is rich in both water and carbon-containing compounds.
When NASA picked Asteroid Bennu, they were hoping that it would contain these exact features. Interestingly, when the spacecraft first made contact, it actually grabbed more rocks and dust than expected. Now NASA is able to figure out exactly how much was extracted and the quality of the sample.
Even though the capsule landed a few weeks ago, NASA is taking its time and doing everything in its power to ensure the samples are not contaminated. This way they can be sure that whatever features and compounds shown are from the asteroid and not Earth. Here I will go more in-depth into the initial results, why they are so important, plans for the future, and more.
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Credit:
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Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:53 - A Busy Two Weeks
3:53 - The Sample Results
