Well, I definitely touched down on Bennu!

Preliminary data show the sampling head touched Bennu’s surface for approximately 6 seconds, within 3 feet (1 meter) of the targeted location. #ToBennuAndBack

More details: https://t.co/4rBrB27FEZ pic.twitter.com/LjDQICmxJM

— NASA's OSIRIS-REx (@OSIRISREx) October 21, 2020

Good news! NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) spacecraft successfully touched asteroid Bennu with its robotic arm and collected roughly 2 ounces of samples to return to Earth. The return trip is currently scheduled for touch-down on September 24th 2023, a long journey considering the asteroid is currently 200 million miles away.

I’ve officially closed the Sample Return Capsule! The sample of Bennu is sealed inside and ready for our voyage back to Earth. The SRC will touch down in the Utah desert on Sep. 24, 2023. Thanks, everyone, for being a part of my journey #ToBennuAndBack pic.twitter.com/z75ITNiGBf

— NASA's OSIRIS-REx (@OSIRISREx) October 29, 2020

NASA scientists hope that the materials collected from the asteroid will provide insight into the early Solar System’s formation and composition. Besides the valuable information gained from the samples that were collected, this impressive feat paves the way for future missions to asteroid and beyond.

Check out all the epic videos from yesterday’s journey #ToBennuAndBack here: https://t.co/p9ixwbmv4P pic.twitter.com/7YnVd1PgGE

— NASA's OSIRIS-REx (@OSIRISREx) October 21, 2020

Source: NASA