OSIRIS-REx and Asteroid Bennu

On 20th October 2020, NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex(Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) spacecraft briefly touched asteroid Bennu, from where it is meant to collect samples of dust and pebbles and deliver them back to Earth in 2023.

• The spacecraft’s robotic arm called the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), made an attempt to “TAG” the asteroid at a sample site and collect a sample.

OSIRIS-REx Mission

• This is NASA’s first mission which aims to return a sample from the ancient asteroid. The mission is essentially a seven-year-long voyage and will conclude when at least 60 grams of samples are delivered back ....