NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft with asteroid cargo adjusts course for landing

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft with nearly 8.8 ounces (250 grams) of asteroid cargo aboard performed a trajectory-correction maneuver on September 10 to point itself toward Earth. This tiny but critical shift has put the spacecraft on course to release its sample capsule from 63,000 miles (or 102,000 kilometers) above Earth's surface on Sunday, September 24.

The sample capsule carrying rocks and dust from asteroid Bennu will be released off the coast of California at 8:42 a.m. MDT / 10:42 a.m. EDT. The capsule will land at a predetermined area on the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range southwest of Salt Lake City.

Closing in! Yesterday the #OSIRISREx spacecraft briefly fired its thrusters to point itself toward Earth, putting it on course to release its sample return capsule from 63,000 miles (102,000 kilometers) above Earth’s surface on Sept. 24. https://t.co/PJV3ChvIdZ pic.twitter.com/qIAkNRwTjD

— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) September 11, 2023

The OSIRIS-REx team members have simulated the procedures they will follow to safely retrieve the sample of asteroid Bennu

OSIRIS-REx is currently 4 million miles (7 million kilometres ) away, travelling at about 14,000 mph (about 23,000 kph) toward Earth. Twenty minutes after the sample capsule drop-off, the spacecraft will fire its thrusters to divert past Earth toward its next target - asteroid Apophis.