To be more precise, the “Osiris-Rex” probe, which is now headed home to Earth with the sample and is expected to be here in a year and a half, did. But after that, “Osiris-Rex” continues. NASA announced that the probe should then locate another asteroid – Apophis. According to calculations, this asteroid will pass very close to Earth in seven years, whose distance is only 30,000 km. During this time, a NASA probe must be brought into the asteroid’s orbit to collect samples here as well.
Knowing more about the surface of asteroids could help NASA researchers calculate their trajectories. Both asteroids cross Earth’s orbit from time to time and can potentially come dangerously close to it.
In addition to Osiris-Rex, NASA also expanded to seven other missions: five of them to Mars, one to the Moon, and the “New Horizons” mission, which originally aimed at Pluto, continues – the probe now goes further. It is at the edge of the solar system.
This message was broadcast on Deutschlandfunk on April 28, 2022.
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