OSIRIS-REx probe touches down to grab bits of an asteroid, with assist from Aerojet

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OSIRIS-REx probe touches down to grab bits of an asteroid, with assist from AerojetNASA’s OSIRIS-REx probe reached the climax of its seven-year round trip to deep space today and briefly touched down on a near-Earth asteroid, propelled by thrusters made in the Seattle area. Scientists and engineers at Lockheed Martin’s Mission Support Area in Colorado received word at 4:12 p.m. MT (3:12 p.m. PT) that the touch-and-go maneuver at asteroid Bennu was successful, sparking cheers and fist-shaking. The maneuver was aimed at collecting samples of dust and gravel on the asteroid’s surface. Mission team members wore masks and tried to observe social distancing as a COVID-19 safety measure, but some hugged nevertheless. “I… Read More


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