The sample could yield 'crucial ingredients for understanding the formation of planets like Earth'
Although the Japanese Hayabusa mission has previously brought samples back from an asteroid in space, known as Ryugu, this is the first asteroid sample Nasa has collected and will be the largest amount ever collected in space.
Ashley King, of the Natural History Museum, said: “These are crucial ingredients for understanding the formation of planets like Earth. We think the Bennu samples might be similar in composition to the recentbut largely uncontaminated by the terrestrial environment and even more pristine. “A lot of our research focuses on meteorites and we can learn a lot about the history of the solar system from them.
At 11.42am UK time, the Osiris-Rex spacecraft released a capsule carrying the sample about 63,000 miles from the Earth’s surface. Parachutes will bring the capsule’s descent to a safe landing speed and at touchdown, the capsule will have slowed to about 11mph .
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