CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) is the first U.S. spacecraft to collect a sample from an asteroid. OSIRIS-REx traveled to near-Earth asteroid Bennu and is bringing a small sample to Earth for study.

Detailed explanation-2: -NASA’s OSIRIS-REx is an ongoing mission that visited and collected a sample from asteroid 101955 Bennu, with the aim of returning the sample to Earth in 2023. OSIRIS-Rex launched on Sept. 8, 2016, and arrived at asteroid Bennu on Dec. 3, 2018.

Detailed explanation-3: -NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft unfurled its robotic arm Tuesday, and in a first for the agency, briefly touched an asteroid to collect dust and pebbles from the surface for delivery to Earth in 2023.

Detailed explanation-4: -Bennu is completely covered in rocks and large boulders, some as big as 72 feet (22 meters) across. What’s more, after arriving at the asteroid the OSIRIS-REx team observed more than 300 occasions when rocky particles were ejected from the asteroid’s surface.

Detailed explanation-5: -A near-Earth asteroid named Bennu has turned out to be full of surprises – the latest of which is the fact that it has a surface similar to a pit of plastic balls, according to NASA scientists.