This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/09/science/nasa-launches-osiris-rex-spacecraft-to-retrieve-asteroid-pieces.html

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
NASA Launches Osiris-Rex Spacecraft to Retrieve Asteroid Pieces NASA Launches Osiris-Rex Spacecraft to Retrieve Asteroid Pieces
(35 minutes later)
NASA’s mission to grab pieces of an asteroid and bring them back to Earth launched on Thursday night.NASA’s mission to grab pieces of an asteroid and bring them back to Earth launched on Thursday night.
The Osiris-Rex spacecraft began its journey on top of an Atlas 5 rocket that lifted off into the summer sky above Cape Canaveral, Fla. Seven years from now, the craft is set to return and parachute a capsule with the asteroid bits into a Utah desert, giving scientists a window to some of the material that made up the early solar system, including some of the molecules that gave rise to life on Earth. The Osiris-Rex spacecraft began its journey on top of an Atlas 5 rocket that lifted off into the summer sky above Cape Canaveral, Fla. Seven years from now, the craft is to return and parachute a capsule with the asteroid bits into a Utah desert, giving scientists a window to some of the material that made up the early solar system, including some of the molecules that gave rise to life on Earth.
Twelve minutes after liftoff, the second-stage engine of the Atlas 5 shut off, leaving Osiris-Rex in orbit around Earth. The engine is to fire again to kick the spacecraft onto a path around the sun. Twelve minutes after liftoff, the second-stage engine of the Atlas 5 shut off, leaving Osiris-Rex in orbit around Earth. The engine was to fire again to kick the spacecraft onto a path around the sun.
A year from now, Osiris-Rex is to l swing back around and make a close flyby of Earth, using the planet’s gravity to tilt the angle of its orbit to match that of Bennu, a carbon-rich asteroid that is 1,600 feet in diameter and has an orbit around the sun similar to Earth’s. It is about as wide as the Empire State Building is tall. A year from now, Osiris-Rex is to swing back around and make a close flyby of Earth, using the planet’s gravity to tilt the angle of its orbit to match that of Bennu, a carbon-rich asteroid that is 1,600 feet in diameter and has an orbit around the sun similar to Earth’s. It is about as wide as the Empire State Building is tall.
Osiris-Rex — a shortening of Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer — will catch up to Bennu in 2018, entering orbit for more than a year of observation to allow scientists to figure out where they want to scoop their sample.Osiris-Rex — a shortening of Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer — will catch up to Bennu in 2018, entering orbit for more than a year of observation to allow scientists to figure out where they want to scoop their sample.
The spacecraft will then swoop in and touch Bennu’s surface for a few seconds, using a burst of nitrogen to kick up pebbles and dirt. Osiris-Rex is to leave Bennu in 2021 and drop off the asteroid samples in 2023.The spacecraft will then swoop in and touch Bennu’s surface for a few seconds, using a burst of nitrogen to kick up pebbles and dirt. Osiris-Rex is to leave Bennu in 2021 and drop off the asteroid samples in 2023.