Osiris-Rex mission on course for asteroid sample collection

Nasa spacecraft makes final preparations to gather material from Bennu's surface in October

Nasa's Osiris-Rex (origins, spectral interpretation, resource identification, security, regolith explorer) asteroid mission has performed its final practice run for its forthcoming sample collection manoeuvre.

The spacecraft is 288m km from Earth, in orbit around the asteroid Bennu. On 20 October it is scheduled to descend and touch the asteroid, where it will collect material from the surface.