Feature Planetary Science

Two daring spacecraft aim to bring asteroid dust back to Earth

The pristine space material may help explain life’s beginnings

Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx

TREASURE HUNTERS  Two spacecraft, Hayabusa2 (left) and OSIRIS-REx (right), began exploring two ancient asteroids in 2018. Both craft are expected to pick up samples of their respective rocks and carry them to Earth. 

Hayabusa2: DLR (CC BY 3.0); OSIRIS-REx: Conceptual Image Lab/NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

By Lisa Grossman

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