OSIRIS-REx made history last fall when it touched down on the asteroid Bennu, and now, the NASA spacecraft is on its way back to Earth with some souvenirs from the trip.
OSIRIS-REx started the two-year journey back home on Monday, carrying rubble it collected from the surface of Bennu, an asteroid believed to be as tall as the Empire State Building and 4.5 billion years old. This was NASA's first mission to try to get a piece of an asteroid, and principal scientist Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona told The Associated Press it is estimated that OSIRIS-REx is holding between half a pound and a pound of rubble — much more than the goal of two ounces.
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