OSIRIS-REx’s SRC is Back: Snapshots from Utah

Posted on September 24, 2023 by Brian H. Gill
OSIRIS-REx SRC entering Earth's atmosphere September 24, 2023; 9:43 a.m.)
The OSIRIS-REx SRC entering Earth’s atmosphere. (September 24, 2023; 9:43 a.m.)

An ‘up’ side to my parish’s new Mass schedule is that it gets me back home a few minutes after 9:00 a.m. Usually. Today we had a baptism, so it was about 9:30 when I returned.

But that left me with plenty of time to watch NASA’s coverage of the OSIRIS-REx SRC ‘s return to Earth and successful touchdown in Utah. That’s a big deal.

“…Returning to Earth is still a tricky process. I’m hoping NASA’s OSIRIS-REx samples experience a smooth landing in 2023….”
(“My Top 10 Science News Stories For 2020” > 3. Habayusa-2’s Successful Return (December 29, 2020))

So is the sample from Bennu that’s in the SRC.

I saved a few screenshots. Talking about Bennu and the OSIRIS-REx mission will probably wait until scientists start studying what’s been brought back.

So here they are, along with what the OSIRIS-REx acronym stands for and links.

OSIRIS-REx SRC and its parachute, coming down in Utah. (September 24, 2023; 9:48 a.m.)
SRC and its parachute (the blob just left of the crosshair). (September 24, 2023; 9:48 a.m.)
OSIRIS-REx SRC: touchdown! (September 24, 2023; 9:52 a.m.)
Touchdown! (September 24, 2023; 9:52 a.m.)
OSIRIS-REx SRC: Good news for the team. (September 24, 2023; 9:53 a.m.)
Good news for the OSIRIS-REx team. (September 24, 2023; 9:53 a.m.)
OSIRIS-REx SRC on the ground and intact: video from a helicopter. (September 24, 2023; 10:10 a.m.)
Video from a helicopter. The SRC is about three feet across. (September 24, 2023; 10:10 a.m.)
OSIRIS-REx SRC: on the ground, folks making sure it's safe to remove the sample from Bennu. (September 24, 2023; 10:21 a.m.)
First things first: make sure the SRC is safe to handle. (September 24, 2023; 10:21 a.m.)
OSIRIS-REx SRC: Successful flight, successful landing. Next comes processing, storing and analyzing the sample. (September 24, 2023; 10:23 a.m.)
OSIRIS-REx SRC’s sample: there’ll be a whole lot of science going on. (September 24, 2023; 10:23 a.m.)

Basically: the OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Explorer) SRC (Sample-Return Capsule) is back on Earth, with over 60 grams of stuff from the asteroid Bennu.

I think it’s a big deal, since Bennu is a C-type asteroid: and that’s another topic.

More, mostly from NASA:

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About Brian H. Gill

I was born in 1951. I'm a husband, father and grandfather. One of the kids graduated from college in December, 2008, and is helping her husband run businesses and raise my granddaughter; another is a cartoonist and artist; #3 daughter is a writer; my son is developing a digital game with #3 and #1 daughters. I'm also a writer and artist.
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