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The asteroid Bennu is a 1650-foot space rock of wide (500 meters) that could lead to a collision of course with the Earth over the next century
Hurtling through space at incredible speeds, the asteroid is currently at a safe distance from our planet and is about 54 million miles away. But in 2135, the asteroid Bennu has a 2700 chance of becoming a threat and crushing on Earth.
Do not worry though, NASA is moving and, as reported on Inquisitr has already planned to attack the asteroid on this fateful date.
However, before releasing nuclear bombs, the space agency first wants to study the asteroid and even hang rock samples for future analyzes.
Enter the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, abbreviation for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer. Launched on September 8, 2016, the space probe was sent to pursue Bennu and is expected to reach the asteroid later this year, December 3.
The mission OSIRIS-REx
The spacecraft mission is to orbit Bennu and collect as much data as possible over the rock of space, notes Space.com . Once this part of the work is complete, OSIRIS-REx will dive on the surface of the asteroid in July 2020 to collect physical samples of the 87 million tons of rock.
Asteroid samples should be packed in a special place. capsule and returned to Earth in September 2023. Once this happens, scientists will be able to learn more about this potentially dangerous asteroid.
But we still have a long way to go until then, and the main concern of OSIRIS-REx To this end, the spacecraft has recently performed a motor combustion maneuver, pulling its main thruster to adjust its speed of 37 mph (60 km / h), NASA announced earlier this week.
NASA Spacecraft refines the course towards the big asteroid Bennu https://t.co/q09oN7Wgb1 pic.twitter.com/bVQen6thnM
– SPACE.com (@SPACEdotcom) July 6, 2018
Conducted on June 28, the procedure is the second Deep Space Maneuver (DSM) -2) successfully completed by the OSIRIS-REx since the spacecraft began its journey to the United States. asteroid Bennu, notes the space agency.
Four more to do
OSIRIS-REx arrived three months after its launch in December 2016. In the meantime, the spacecraft made a number of small propellant fires in September last, when OSIRIS-REx performed an overflight of the Earth in anticipation of a gravitational assistance maneuver. While the DSM-2 has cost the space probe about 12.8 kilograms of fuel, the procedure is a necessary step that opens the way for another type of maneuver designed to facilitate its approach to Bennu, said officials of the NASA. "The propeller thrust has put the spacecraft on the right track for a series of asteroid approach maneuvers that will end at the scheduled arrival of the spacecraft at the launch. asteroid Bennu on December 3rd. "
Asteroid approaching maneuvers These are planned for the fall and the first should be held in early October. Called Asteroid Approach Maneuver 1 (AAM-1), this procedure will allow OSIRIS-REx to reduce its speed compared to Bennu from 1,130 mph to 320 mph (1,820 to 515 km / h).
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