TWiS 79: Stardust! - Back from Bennu with OSIRIS-REx's Incalculably Valuable Dirt and Anjani Polit

For as long as they've understood what asteroids actually are, scientists have pined for pristine samples that haven't had to endure hurtling through Earth's scorching atmosphere. The OSIRIS-REx probe, which launched in 2016, is finally returning its ultra-valuable payload--a bit of primordial star-stuff from the early solar system--to Earth. On September 24, a small capsule will land in the Utah desert, and secreted inside is at least two ounces of sample material from asteroid Bennu. It's been a long and sometimes arduous voyage, and we're joined by Anjani Polit, the Mission Implementation Systems Engineer for OSIRIS-REx. Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Anjani Polit Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: discourse.org/twit GO.ACILEARNING.COM/TWIT