OSIRIS REx Slings Orbital Web Around Asteroid to Capture Sample 1080

he OSIRIS-Rex (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) mission is a NASA spacecraft designed to study the near-Earth asteroid and bring back a sample of its surface material to Earth. In order to capture a sample, OSIRIS-Rex performed a complex maneuver known as the "Touch-and-Go" (TAG) event.

During this event, OSIRIS-Rex approached and extended its sampling arm to make contact with the asteroid's surface. A burst of nitrogen gas was then released, causing the surface material to be stirred up and captured within the spacecraft's collection device. The spacecraft did not land on the asteroid but made a quick touch and then backed away.

The reference to "slings orbital web around asteroid" in your description might be slightly confusing. OSIRIS-Rex did not create an "orbital web" around the asteroid. Instead, it entered orbit around in 2018 to study the asteroid's surface in detail and select a suitable site for sample collection. The spacecraft used a combination of detailed imaging, spectroscopy, and other scientific techniques to characterize the asteroid's surface and determine the best location to collect a sample.

After the TAG event, OSIRIS-Rex began its journey back to Earth with the collected sample. The sample return capsule containing the collected material is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere and land in Utah, USA, in September 2023.

The primary goal of the OSIRIS-Rex mission is to provide insights into the early solar system and the origins of life by studying a near-Earth asteroid and bringing back a pristine sample of its regolith (surface material) for scientific analysis.