Space enthusisats have followed the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission to collect a sample of asteroid Bennu. It is considered a “primitive asteroid,” which formed something like 4.5 billion years ago and hasn’t changed much since then. That means we might find organic molecules on its surface that can teach us about the beginnings of life on Earth. NOVA documents the development of the project that led up to the “Touch-And-Go,” or TAG, maneuver, that took place yesterday.
Watch Touching the Asteroid on NOVA, tonight at 9pm on GBH 2.
NASA
