Showing posts with label return to Earth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label return to Earth. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Luna 16 launched 1970



Luna 16, launched by the Soviet Union September 12, 1970, was the first probe to land on the moon and then return a sample of the lunar soil to Earth.  It landed in the Sea of Fertility (Mare Fecunditatis) at night September 20, becoming the first night landing.  A drill pierced the lunar surface and obtained a sample of about 101 g.  On September 21, the upper stage blasted off from the moon and returned to Earth three days later. 


Friday, September 8, 2023

OSIRIS-REx, spacecraft to asteroid Bennu, launched 2016



One of the first of its kind, OSIRIS-REx, Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) is a NASA spacecraft sent to study the asteroid Bennu and return a sample to Earth.

It was launched September 8, 2016 and landed on Bennu in October 2020. It lifted off from the asteroid's surface in early April 2021 and in May, began its journey back to Earth.  It is expected the storage container of samples of Bennu will touchdown September 23 of this year.