The most dangerous asteroid in the solar system is coming to Earth this fall — a piece of it, at least — as part of NASA's first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid will make its landing in the Utah desert.
DUGWAY — The most dangerous asteroid in the solar system is coming to Earth this fall — a piece of it, at least — as part of NASA's first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid will make its landing in the Utah desert.Analyzing the sample from the asteroid Bennu, estimated to be around 4.5 billion years old, will help scientists understand the origin of life in the universe.
Witherspoon said the recovery team has conducted five major rehearsals in anticipation of the landing, with the most recent one taking place at the Utah Test and Training Range. Rehearsing on-site has allowed the team to analyze ground conditions and simulate the real landing. "Our team now feels really confident that … whatever we see the day when we get there, we already have a plan for how we're going to operate and react, and everyone has practiced that, so nothing should come as a surprise for us," he said. "We don't expect anything catastrophic to happen."
A cleanroom at Dugway Proving Grounds is pictured on Thursday. NASA and military personnel are preparing for the Sept. 24 reentry of the sample return capsule from the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which collected samples from the asteroid Bennu. Other samples will also be shared with Canada in exchange for the laser altimeter it provided that helped map out Bennu, and with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, among other organizations.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Utah Jazz logo marks Utah Air National Guard aircraftPeople around the world will see the Utah Jazz logo on the side of a KC-135 aircraft thanks to a collaboration between the Utah Air National Guard and the state's NBA team.
Read more »
Family pleads for help to find missing 12-year-old Utah girlA Glendale mother pleads for help finding her 12-year-old daughter, who went missing Monday afternoon while walking home from Glendale Middle School.
Read more »
Utah organizations debate proposed rule that would allow more nicotine in e-cigarettesPeople passionately spoke about protecting children, adult smokers and businesses during a public hearing Monday, as some opposed and others supported a proposed rule that would allow Utah retailers to start offering electronic cigarettes with more than 3% nicotine again.
Read more »
Utah’s third inland port is coming to Spanish ForkThe Verk Industrial Park will be a hub for processing, manufacturing and shipping goods in and out of Utah, according to a project draft.
Read more »
Gay men now able to donate blood in Utah after decades-long banTuesday was a historic day for Utah. Gay men who were once unable to donate blood were able to participate in blood drives for the very first time. EmilyTencerTV
Read more »
Issues finding child care in UtahParents in Utah face obstacles finding child care, and 13% of children in the state were in a family where at least one parent had to quit a job, pass up a career opportunity or faced another major job change because of issues with child care. The Salt Lake Tribune wants to talk with parents about their experiences with child care.
Read more »