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This is NASA's first mission to study and collect a sample of asteroid, one of the closest to the Earth and the smallest celestial body ever placed in orbit around a spacecraft, according to the space agency.
The OSIRIS-REx probe was launched in September 2016 and has slowly approached the asteroid, which he was today at 49 kilometers. On Monday, the probe will begin to operate around Bennu, known to be rich in carbon, a fundamental compound of life.
For a year, the device will study the rocky body without landing on it, in order to select a safe and scientifically interesting place to collect in 2020, with the help of a robotic arm, a fragment of rock which will be sent to the analysis in the Earth, where the probe should return in 2023.
The robotic arm, a little over three meters long, will touch the surface of the asteroid for about five seconds, during which time an explosion of nitrogen gas (nitrogen) will cause a oscillation at the surface, allowing the collection of fragments. rock. In total, only three sampling attempts can be made.
The asteroid piece will land on Earth in a capsule that will separate from the probe and will be "equipped" with a heat shield and a parachute.
According to NASA, this mission will help scientists better understand how the planets of the solar system were formed and how life began on Earth. Asteroids such as Bennu contain natural resources such as water, organic compounds and metals.
The "meeting" of OSIRIS-REx with Bennu will be broadcast live on the NASA television channel.
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