Thanks to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) contribution to the OSIRIS-REx mission, Canada will receive part of the sample from the asteroid Bennu.
NASA’s sample return capsule landed in the desert of Utah, USA, on the morning of September 24th.
The asteroid is being studied by scientists and could provide answers to some questions about the history of the solar system and the origin of water and life on Earth.
The sample will first be sent to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for preservation and prediction of its global distribution. CSA specialists and Canadian researchers will then be involved in selecting the part to be assigned to Canada, scheduled to arrive at the John H. Chapman Space Center in 2024.
Canada will become the fifth country to receive and store a sample collected in space.
“The OSIRIS-REx mission will enable Canada to pave the way for exceptional research and scientific discovery for generations to come, while distinguishing itself as a world leader thanks to the efforts of its internationally renowned researchers,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation , Science and Industry, via press release.
Remember that the Canadian OLA laser altimeter played a key role in the mission. This lidar scanned the entire Bennu to determine its shape and surface characteristics, allowing scientists to select the best sampling site. (NP)