NASA explorer touches down on asteroid Bennu for sample collection

A NASA space explorer on Tuesday touched down on the surface of the asteroid Bennu to collect rock samples and return them to Earth for study in what would be the first such mission for the U.S. space agency.OSIRIS-REx is a seven-year mission that is set to conclude upon the delivery to Earth of at least 60 grams of the asteroid's rocky material in 2023, which is expected to provide fresh insights into the formation of the solar system and the origin of life.The U.S. team plans to exchange the samples with those to be brought back from asteroid Ryugu by Japan's space probe Hayabusa2, which …READ FULL ARTICLE