{"id":7361,"date":"2023-09-24T21:11:31","date_gmt":"2023-09-24T21:11:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/?p=7361"},"modified":"2023-09-24T21:11:31","modified_gmt":"2023-09-24T21:11:31","slug":"osiris-rexs-src-is-back-snapshots-from-utah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/osiris-rexs-src-is-back-snapshots-from-utah\/","title":{"rendered":"OSIRIS-REx’s SRC is Back: Snapshots from Utah"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"OSIRIS-REx<\/a>
The OSIRIS-REx SRC entering Earth’s atmosphere. (September 24, 2023; 9:43 a.m.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“…Returning to Earth is still a tricky process. I\u2019m hoping NASA\u2019s OSIRIS-REx samples experience a smooth landing in 2023….”
(“My Top 10 Science News Stories For 2020<\/a>” > 3. Habayusa-2’s Successful Return<\/a> (December 29, 2020))<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

So is the sample from Bennu that’s in the SRC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So here they are, along with what the OSIRIS-REx acronym stands for and links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"OSIRIS-REx<\/a>
SRC and its parachute (the blob just left of the crosshair). (September 24, 2023; 9:48 a.m.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"OSIRIS-REx<\/a>
Touchdown! (September 24, 2023; 9:52 a.m.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"OSIRIS-REx<\/a>
Good news for the OSIRIS-REx team. (September 24, 2023; 9:53 a.m.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"OSIRIS-REx<\/a>
Video from a helicopter. The SRC is about three feet across. (September 24, 2023; 10:10 a.m.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"OSIRIS-REx<\/a>
First things first: make sure the SRC is safe to handle. (September 24, 2023; 10:21 a.m.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"OSIRIS-REx<\/a>
OSIRIS-REx SRC’s sample: there’ll be a whole lot of science going on. (September 24, 2023; 10:23 a.m.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Basically: the OSIRIS-REx (O<\/strong>rigins, S<\/strong>pectral I<\/strong>nterpretation, R<\/strong>esource I<\/strong>dentification, S<\/strong>ecurity, Ex<\/strong>plorer) SRC (S<\/strong>ample-R<\/strong>eturn C<\/strong>apsule) is back on Earth, with over 60 grams of stuff from the asteroid Bennu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think it’s a big deal, since Bennu is a C-type asteroid: and that’s another topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More, mostly from NASA:<\/p>\n\n\n\n