Enlarge / Dante Lauretta (right), OSIRIS-REx principal investigator, approaches the sample return capsule Sunday at the Utah Test and Training Range.NASA/Keegan Barber
A small capsule carrying pristine specimens from an asteroid parachuted to landing in the Utah desert Sunday, capping a seven-year voyage through the Solar System to bring home samples for eager scientists seeking clues about the origins of life.
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission brought back the largest unspoiled sample of material ever returned to Earth from beyond the Moon, probably on the order of about 250 grams, or roughly 8 ounces, according to estimates. The spacecraft collected the samples
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