space travel
Samples can be taken from asteroids: The mission of NASA probe “Osiris-Rex” has been extended.
Photo: DPA
Washington (DPA). After Bennu, the NASA probe “Osiris-Rex” is also scheduled to explore the asteroid Apophis.
US space agency NASA said the probe’s mission, which is currently returning to Earth with a sample of Bennu, would be extended by at least nine years. The mission, dubbed “Osiris-Apex”, should be directed into orbit around Apophis after the previous plan is completed. According to calculations, the asteroid with a diameter of about 370 meters will fly by about 32,000 kilometers from Earth in 2029 and thus can be studied up close for the first time.
“Osiris-Rex” was the first American missile in space history to sample from an asteroid in 2020. In September 2023, the sample of Bennu is going to be sent to Earth. “Osiris Rex” (abbreviation stands for: Origin, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer) was launched from Cape Canaveral Spaceport in September 2016 and arrived at Bennu nearly two years later.
In addition to “Osiris-Rex”, NASA also extended the missions of six other missions: the Mars mission “Mars Odyssey”, “Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter”, “Maven”, “Curiosity” and “InSight”, the Moon Probe “Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter”. ” and the “New Horizons” mission was originally sent to Pluto.
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