News Space

The asteroid Bennu’s brittle boulders may make grabbing a sample easier

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is about to collect material from the space rock

Bennu

Almost two years after NASA’s OSIRIS-REx arrived at asteroid Bennu, scientists have completely mapped the asteroid. This false-color image of Bennu’s rocky surface provides clues to how solid its boulders are.

Univ. of Arizona, Goddard/NASA

By Lisa Grossman

- More than 2 years ago

When NASA’s OSIRIS-REx arrived at near-Earth asteroid Bennu, scientists were dismayed to find a surface covered with hazardous-looking boulders.