After a seven-year wait, Nasa scientists last month finally pried open a space probe carrying the largest asteroid samples ever brought back to Earth.
Osiris-Rex launched in 2016, landing on the asteroid Bennu where it collected about 250 grams of dust from its surface.
Even that small amount, Nasa said, should “help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth”.
The spacecraft ended its 6.21-billion-kilometre journey after touching down in the US.
After opening it, researchers “found black dust and debris on
the avionics deck of the Osiris-Rex science canister”, the US space agency said.
Scientists are eagerly waiting to research the sample, which will require “intricate disassembly” of the probe. They believe information from the asteroid will help us better understand the formation of the solar system and how Earth became habitable.
