A few steps remain before the bulk of the asteroid sample can be removed.
The OSIRIS-REx mission launched in September 2016 and reached asteroid Bennu in December 2018.
Bennu is a small, near-Earth asteroid that makes a close pass to Earth every six years or so.
The OSIRIS-REx TAGSAM head with the lid removed, revealing the remainder of the asteroid sample.Photo: NASA/Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph Aebersold
The final mass of the sample will be determined in the coming weeks, NASA stated.
We cant wait to find out more about the asteroid sample that keeps on giving.
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Photo: NASA/Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph Aebersold
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