CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA finally has counted up all the asteroid samples returned by a spacecraft last fall — and it’s double the rubble return goal.
Officials reported Thursday that the Osiris-Rex spacecraft collected 121.6 grams (4.29 ounces) of dust and pebbles from asteroid Bennu. That’s just over half a cup and the biggest cosmic haul ever from beyond the moon.
It took NASA longer than expected to pry open the sample container because of stuck fasteners.
The black, carbon-rich samples — the first ever collected from an asteroid by NASA — are stored at a special curation lab at Houston’s Johnson Space Center.
Osiris-Rex returned the samples last September, three years after gathering them from the asteroid. The haul for the $1 billion mission would have been greater, but rocks jammed the lid of the container following the grab and some samples floated away.
What a blast to work at NASA. Space agency is sky
Brent Burns, Dmitry Orlov help Hurricanes hold on to beat Islanders 3
Brazil's Romário returns to training at age 58, scores twice and keeps sharp tongue
Supreme Court on Donald Trump's immunity claims: Key moments, explained
Insider Q&A: CIA's chief technologist's cautious embrace of generative AI
As some universities negotiate with pro
Las Vegas Raiders take Georgia tight end Brock Bowers with the 13th pick in the NFL draft
Utah Republicans to select nominee for Mitt Romney's open US Senate seat
More than 50 aerospace information companies registered in Xiong'an New Area: official
Justin Timberlake set to bring his The Forget Tomorrow World Tour to Australia in 2025
Buccaneers add offensive line help, select Duke C Graham Barton in NFL draft