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NASA announced Monday the arrival of the OSIRIS-Rex space probe on the orbit of the asteroid Bennu, after a long two-year trip. It is expected that samples of materials collected on the asteroid will bring new information and discoveries about the origin of the solar system.
Indeed, scientists consider that Bennu is a carboniferous asteroid, that is to say that it contains compounds rich in carboso composition. It is thought that this type of asteroid has been "preserved" since the beginning of the solar system, 4.5 billion years ago, and could therefore contain substances similar to those that helped to create the life on Earth.
"Bennu is covered with carbon materials and organic principles, building blocks of life," said one of the project's scientists, Amy Simon, when of the transmission of the arrival of the ship. The OSIRIS-Rex probe is now about 20 kilometers from the asteroid. and the next phase of the mission is to map the surface of the rock to find the best point to collect the materials.
Samples should only be harvested by 2020 and reach the Earth by means of a capsule ejected by the probe. after 2023 – will be collected up to 2 kilos of dust and rocks.
The Bennu is 492 meters in diameter (slightly more than the height of the Empire State Building). It has also been chosen by NASA because it is NASA's first mission that will bring to Earth substances collected in an asteroid. there is a small chance of colliding with the Earth in the 2100s. The intent is for the probe to collect information that shows how the asteroid orbit can vary in the weather.
