Space Mysteries: NASA's OSIRIS-REx Reveals Some of Planet Earth's Ancient Origins | Tech News

Space Mysteries: NASA's OSIRIS-REx Reveals Some of Planet Earth's Ancient Origins

NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission has made a historic discovery, unearthing evidence of the fundamental components of life on Earth within samples collected from asteroid Bennu.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Nov 27 2023, 21:06 IST
Chandrayaan-3 Mission: On Shiv Shakti Point, know stellar role played by women scientists in ISRO
NASA's cutting-edge AI system, DAGGER, is set to revolutionize our preparedness for solar storms. With its rapid 30-minute warning capabilities, DAGGER provides a vital tool for safeguarding our infrastructure as we approach the 2025 solar cycle peak.
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1/5 Chandrayaan-3 Mission - Key Role of Women Scientists: ISRO scientist Ritu Karidhal Srivastava, also known as the 'Rocket Woman of India,' highlighted the substantial contribution of women scientists in the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Women played a pivotal role in selecting the mission's landing site for Vikram Lander which was then named Shiv Shakti Point. (ISRO)
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2/5 Chandrayaan-3 Mission - Unique South Pole Mission: As Reported in Hindustan Times, Ritu shared her insights while being felicitated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently. She emphasized the uniqueness of India's Chandrayaan mission by noting that no other country had previously ventured to the Moon's south pole. This region presented distinct challenges, including deep craters, rugged terrain, and the need for continuous sunlight to operate the lander. (HT_PRINT)
NASA's cutting-edge AI system, DAGGER, is set to revolutionize our preparedness for solar storms. With its rapid 30-minute warning capabilities, DAGGER provides a vital tool for safeguarding our infrastructure as we approach the 2025 solar cycle peak.
(representative image)
3/5 Chandrayaan-3 Mission - Historic Launch and Landing: Chandrayaan-3 was successfully launched on July 14, 2023, from the Second Launch Pad in Sriharikota and created history by soft-landing on the moon's south pole on August 23, 2023. The mission demonstrated safe landing, rover operation, and conducting of in-situ scientific experiments. (ISRO)
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4/5 Chandrayaan-3 Mission - Lunar Data Contribution: In less than 14 Earth days, Chandrayaan-3 provided valuable lunar data to the global scientific community. This data revealed unexpected elements in the Moon soil, including sulfur, iron, titanium, aluminum, and calcium. These findings will significantly enhance our understanding of the moon's geologic history, particularly in the unexplored South Pole region. (PTI)
NASA's cutting-edge AI system, DAGGER, is set to revolutionize our preparedness for solar storms. With its rapid 30-minute warning capabilities, DAGGER provides a vital tool for safeguarding our infrastructure as we approach the 2025 solar cycle peak.
(representative image)
5/5 Chandrayaan-3 Mission - Successful Mission Execution: Ritu and her team successfully undertook the daunting task of selecting a suitable landing site and devising a plan for the spacecraft to reach it. Their meticulous planning and execution resulted in Chandrayaan-3's touchdown at the Shiv Shakti Point on the Moon on August 23. (AP)
NASA's cutting-edge AI system, DAGGER, is set to revolutionize our preparedness for solar storms. With its rapid 30-minute warning capabilities, DAGGER provides a vital tool for safeguarding our infrastructure as we approach the 2025 solar cycle peak.
(representative image)
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NASA's cutting-edge AI system, DAGGER, is set to revolutionize our preparedness for solar storms. With its rapid 30-minute warning capabilities, DAGGER provides a vital tool for safeguarding our infrastructure as we approach the 2025 solar cycle peak. (representative image) (pixabay)

The ultimate aim of space scientists is to discover the origins of life and then figure out how things may move in the future in a better, more predicatble, way. Easier said than done, but scientists across the globe are hard at work on it. In 2023, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft made a groundbreaking discovery on asteroid Bennu, shedding light on the building blocks of life on Earth. This remarkable finding adds to our understanding of how Earth became a life-sustaining planet.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission unveiled evidence of the "building blocks of life on Earth" after collecting samples from asteroid Bennu.

The mission provided vital insights into the role of asteroids like Bennu in shaping Earth's sustainability, affirming their significance.

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NASA's administrator, Bill Nelson, called it the "biggest carbon-rich asteroid sample ever delivered to Earth," offering a significant advantage in investigating early Earth conditions that craeted favourable conditions for life.

The OSIRIS-REx mission, initiated in 2016, undertook a two-year study of Bennu, and by 2020, it collected around 8.8 ounces of samples from the asteroid.

The spacecraft returned to Earth, and landed a re-entry vehicle in the Utah desert a month ago, bringing back its impressive findings.

Scientists have been meticulously examining the collected samples to unravel the asteroid's secrets and gain valuable insights into the Earth's history. They got more than they bargained for as the vehicle was covered with a greater amount of material than expected.

The OSIRIS-REx mission is not slowing down; it is gearing up for another mission to explore the mysteries of the asteroid Apophis. NASA revealed that the spacecraft didn't land, but continued on to a new mission, OSIRIS-APEX, to explore asteroid Apophis after jettisoning the asteroid sample on earth.

This discovery marks a significant step forward in space research, though the analysis of TAGSAM, the primary sample collection device, is yet to come.

The findings contribute to our understanding of how life evolved on Earth and underscore the importance of studying celestial bodies like Bennu.

The quest for knowledge about the universe continues, and each day brings us closer to unveiling its mysteries, emphasizing the significance of ongoing space exploration.

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First Published Date: 27 Nov, 21:06 IST
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