In six years, a NASA space capsule is scheduled to land at western Utah’s Test and Training Range, floating down to Earth under a parachute.
Scientists hope that tucked inside will be a small chunk of material scraped from the surface of the asteroid Bennu. It would be the first time a sample taken from an asteroid has been returned to Earth.
The rock and dust measuring several ounces may contain novel clues about how life began on our planet, and about formation of the early solar system in general. It also, scientists say, should improve our understanding of asteroids that could impact Earth in coming years.