A training model of the sample return capsule is seen is seen during a drop test in preparation for … [+]
Set your alarms for just before 10:54 a.m. EDT/7:54 a.m. PDT on Sunday, September 24, to tune in to NASA TV on YouTube and be a part of the culmination of a daring seven-year mission to collect samples from an asteroid.
NASA and its partners will drop precious samples of the near-Earth asteroid Bennu into the Utah desert for retrieval, marking the end of a mission that began in 2016. These samples, remnants from the early solar system 4.5 billion years ago, may hold valuable information about planet formation and the molecular precursors to life.
The OSIRIS-REx mission, initiated by NASA, successfully obtained a sample from Bennu in 2020 and has been on its return journey ever since. The sample return capsule is estimated to contain approximately 8.8 ounces +/- 3.6 ounces (250 grams +/- 101 grams) of material.
When And Where To Watch A Live Stream
The live coverage of the capsule’s descent will commence at 10:00 a.m. EDT/8:00 a.m. MDT/7:00 a.m. PDT on Sunday, September 24. You can catch the coverage on various platforms, including NASA Television, NASA TV on YouTube, the NASA app, and the NASA website.
NASA will also stream the coverage in Spanish at the same times on X, Facebook, and YouTube.
The capsule is projected to enter Earth’s atmosphere at 7:42 a.m. (PT) and land within a 37-mile by 9-mile (59 km by 15 km) ellipse, 13 minutes later.
A news conference is scheduled for approximately 5:00 p.m. EDT following the landing. You can watch it live on NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.
In the event of technical difficulties on September 24, preventing the safe landing of the capsule, there is a backup opportunity available in 2025.
Artist’s concept of the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule following its landing via parachute in the … [+]
What Will Happen After The Landing
The OSIRIS-REx team has undergone extensive training and rehearsals for the final phase of the mission. This includes an end-to-end capsule retrieval exercise conducted on Tuesday, August 29, at the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground.
Once the capsule has landed and has been secured for transportation, it will be transported via helicopter to a temporary clean room. Furthermore, crews will collect soil and air samples from around the landing capsule for later analysis of any potential contaminants found in the asteroid sample.
In a press release, Mike Moreau, the deputy project manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, stated, “Once the sample capsule touches down, our team will be racing against the clock to recover it and get it to the safety of a temporary clean room.”
About 90 minutes after the sample capsule arrives, the space agency will hold a briefing to discuss the post-landing details, which will also be livestreamed.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
