NASA has successfully completed a key drop test in Utah's West Desert as it gears up for the delivery of the first US asteroid sample, which is scheduled to land on Earth in September.

In a significant step towards the mission's completion, a mockup of NASA's OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer) sample capsule was dropped from an aircraft and landed at the designated drop zone within the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range. 

NASA Expects September 24 Arrival of Sample of the Bennu Asteroid 

It marks the final major test before the actual capsule's arrival on September 24, carrying a sample of the Bennu asteroid collected in space nearly three years ago.

The successful drop test is a crucial milestone in ensuring that the team is adequately prepared for the imminent arrival of the asteroid sample. 

Nicola Fox, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, highlighted the significance of the upcoming sample delivery, saying: "Pristine material from asteroid Bennu will help shed light on the formation of our solar system 4.5 billion years ago, and perhaps even on how life on Earth began."

This recent drop test follows a series of preparatory exercises carried out in the spring and summer, including rehearsals for capsule recovery, spacecraft engineering operations, and sample curation procedures. 

With less than four weeks remaining until the spacecraft's arrival, the OSIRIS-REx team is in the final stages of their rehearsals and is well-prepared for the forthcoming delivery.

Dante Lauretta, principal investigator for OSIRIS-REx at the University of Arizona, Tucson, expressed his pride in the team's dedicated efforts, likening the process to a marathon. 

He said: "Just as our meticulous planning and rehearsal prepared us to collect a sample from Bennu, we have honed our skills for sample recovery."

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NASA OSIRIS-REx Sample Capsule

The OSIRIS-REx sample capsule contains approximately 8.8 ounces of rocky material collected from the surface of the Bennu asteroid in 2020. 

Scientists are eagerly anticipating the study of this sample over the coming years to gain insights into the formation of our planet and solar system and investigate the origin of organic materials that could have played a role in the emergence of life on Earth.

As the capsule enters Earth's atmosphere, scheduled for 8:42 a.m. MDT (10:42 a.m. EDT), NASA will provide live coverage of the landing starting at 10 a.m. EDT (8 a.m. MDT) on various platforms, including NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agency's website.

Rich Burns, project manager for OSIRIS-REx at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, likened the mission's current phase to the end of a marathon: "We are now in the final leg of this seven-year journey, and it feels very much like the last few miles of a marathon, with a confluence of emotions like pride and joy coexisting with a determined focus to complete the race well."

Following its retrieval and packaging, the sample capsule will be transported to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where it will undergo documentation, preservation, and distribution for analysis by scientists globally. 

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