Asteroid Bennu

A new study from physicists suggests that tiny grains of space dust may hop around on the surface of asteroids, making them appear rough. The study, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, may help scientists understand how asteroids bring them dangerously close to Earth.

While scientists believed that asteroid Bennu had a smooth and plain surface, they were recently astonished to learn the true nature of its exterior. An analysis of the data gathered by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft revealed that Bennu's surface consists of loosely packed particles that resemble a pit filled with plastic balls. 

NASA has put an asteroid mission on hold blaming the late delivery of its own navigation software. The Psyche mission was supposed to launch this September or October. But the agency’s Jet Propulsion Lab was several months late delivering its software for navigation, guidance and control.

Scientists think that the boulders on the surface of Asteroid Bennu might be acting as a shield against meteoroids. When a meteoroid collides with Bennu, which is a rubber-pile asteroid formed from a much bigger asteroid, it ends up fracturing, chipping, or breaking apart the boulders. Impactors also create smaller craters on Bennu due to the boul...

NASA shared an Instagram post showing the 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid Bennu, from which the space agency has collected samples using its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which will return to Earth in 2023.

The US space probe OSIRIS-REx left the orbit of the asteroid Bennu, from which it collected dust samples last year, to begin its long journey back to Earth.

The US space probe Osiris-Rex on Monday left the orbit of the asteroid Bennu, from which it collected dust samples last year, to begin its long journey back to Earth.

NASA spacecraft OSIRIS-REx tucked over 1kg of asteroid samples into a capsule for return to Earth after losing some of its precious loot because of a jammed lid, scientists said Thursday.

NASA said Thursday its robotic spacecraft Osiris-Rex was able to stow a rock and dust sample scooped up from the asteroid Bennu, after a flap that had wedged open put the mission at risk.

NASA's robotic spacecraft OSIRIS-REx is set to begin a new mission to store the particles it scooped up from the asteroid Bennu’s surface which were slowly leaking into space because a flap got wedged open.

NASA's robotic spacecraft Osiris-Rex is set to begin on Tuesday a delicate operation to store the precious particles it scooped up from the asteroid Bennu, but which were leaking into space when a flap got wedged open.

NASA said Friday that its robotic spacecraft OSIRIS-REx had succeeded in collecting a large sample of particles from the Bennu asteroid this week -- but so much that it was leaking.

NASA said Friday that its robotic spacecraft Osiris-Rex had succeeded in collecting a large sample of particles from the Bennu asteroid this week -- but so much that it was leaking.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft crushed rocks and sent rubble flying as it briefly touched an asteroid, a strong indication that samples were collected for return to Earth, officials said Wednesday.

After a four-year journey, NASA's robotic spacecraft Osiris-Rex briefly touched down on asteroid Bennu's boulder-strewn surface on Tuesday to collect rock and dust samples in a precision operation 200 million miles (330 million kilometres) from Earth.

A new study from physicists suggests that tiny grains of space dust may hop around on the surface of asteroids, making them appear rough. The study, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, may help scientists understand how asteroids bring them dangerously close to Earth.

While scientists believed that asteroid Bennu had a smooth and plain surface, they were recently astonished to learn the true nature of its exterior. An analysis of the data gathered by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft revealed that Bennu's surface consists of loosely packed particles that resemble a pit filled with plastic balls. 

NASA has put an asteroid mission on hold blaming the late delivery of its own navigation software. The Psyche mission was supposed to launch this September or October. But the agency’s Jet Propulsion Lab was several months late delivering its software for navigation, guidance and control.

Scientists think that the boulders on the surface of Asteroid Bennu might be acting as a shield against meteoroids. When a meteoroid collides with Bennu, which is a rubber-pile asteroid formed from a much bigger asteroid, it ends up fracturing, chipping, or breaking apart the boulders. Impactors also create smaller craters on Bennu due to the boul...

NASA shared an Instagram post showing the 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid Bennu, from which the space agency has collected samples using its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which will return to Earth in 2023.

The US space probe OSIRIS-REx left the orbit of the asteroid Bennu, from which it collected dust samples last year, to begin its long journey back to Earth.

The US space probe Osiris-Rex on Monday left the orbit of the asteroid Bennu, from which it collected dust samples last year, to begin its long journey back to Earth.

NASA spacecraft OSIRIS-REx tucked over 1kg of asteroid samples into a capsule for return to Earth after losing some of its precious loot because of a jammed lid, scientists said Thursday.

NASA said Thursday its robotic spacecraft Osiris-Rex was able to stow a rock and dust sample scooped up from the asteroid Bennu, after a flap that had wedged open put the mission at risk.

NASA's robotic spacecraft OSIRIS-REx is set to begin a new mission to store the particles it scooped up from the asteroid Bennu’s surface which were slowly leaking into space because a flap got wedged open.

NASA's robotic spacecraft Osiris-Rex is set to begin on Tuesday a delicate operation to store the precious particles it scooped up from the asteroid Bennu, but which were leaking into space when a flap got wedged open.

NASA said Friday that its robotic spacecraft OSIRIS-REx had succeeded in collecting a large sample of particles from the Bennu asteroid this week -- but so much that it was leaking.

NASA said Friday that its robotic spacecraft Osiris-Rex had succeeded in collecting a large sample of particles from the Bennu asteroid this week -- but so much that it was leaking.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft crushed rocks and sent rubble flying as it briefly touched an asteroid, a strong indication that samples were collected for return to Earth, officials said Wednesday.

After a four-year journey, NASA's robotic spacecraft Osiris-Rex briefly touched down on asteroid Bennu's boulder-strewn surface on Tuesday to collect rock and dust samples in a precision operation 200 million miles (330 million kilometres) from Earth.