The vehicle for the OSIRIS-REx mission, sent by NASA to take samples from the Bennu asteroid the size of the Empire State Building, has started its return journey. So, what is the Bennu meteorite, which is frightening not only because of its size but also because of the impact it will have, and what do we know about it?
The OSIRIX-REx vehicle, which set out for the Bennu asteroid mission, returns
NASA has already started taking precautions for the Bennu meteorite, which it expects to hit the Earth after 159 years. In this sense, the vehicle return journey for the NASA OSIRIX-REx mission, which took samples from the meteorite, has begun.
So what is the Bennu meteorite and what do we know about it? This meteorite is the size of 1.5 Eiffel Towers, that is, approximately 500 meters wide. If the collision occurs, an energy the size of 24 Tsar bombs, that is, 1200 Megatons, will be released.
NASA announced that the probability of the meteorite hitting the Earth is one in 1730. So it’s a pretty remote possibility. However, there is a possibility that the meteorite will change direction within 159 years with a deviation of 37 per thousand.
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That’s why NASA has already started taking precautions for the meteorite. That’s why NASA launched the vehicle for the OSIRIS REx mission in 2016. After seven years of samples taken, the vehicle began to return to Earth. This journey is expected to take two years.
The Bennu meteorite is thought to remain from the early formation of the universe 4.5 billion years ago. In this sense, it is possible that the meteorite has some clues about the formation of the universe.
NASA will plan what to do based on the structure of the meteorite after the vehicle returns to Earth. However, predictions are that the meteorite will break into small pieces that will not cause any damage.
The OSIRIX-REx mission planned for Bennu did not actually go as planned. It was not known exactly what kind of surface the asteroid had. During the landing of the vehicle, it was revealed that the areas suitable for landing were very limited.
In fact, the probability of a large asteroid hitting the Earth’s surface is quite low, according to scientists. In this sense, Bennu is one of the largest asteroids to come this close to Earth. In this sense, NASA is carrying out an important test against this danger that may threaten humanity in the future. There is also a high probability that this huge meteorite contains elements that are rare in the world.
In this sense, there is a possibility that the Bennu meteorite may become an important source for asteroid mining. Especially considering that it will be in near-Earth orbit for 159 years. However, the difficulty of landing on the asteroid may make things difficult in this sense.