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NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona On May 10, NASA s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will say farewell to asteroid Bennu and begin its two-year journey back to Earth, where the dust and rocks collected during the Touch-And-Go maneuver in October will be studied by scientists, including OSIRIS-REx mission principal investigator and University of Arizona planetary scientist Dante Lauretta. During its Oct. 20, 2020, sample collection event, the spacecraft collected a substantial amount of material from Bennu s surface, likely exceeding the mission s requirement of 2 ounces, or 60 grams. The spacecraft is scheduled to deliver the sample to Earth on Sep. 24, 2023 in the Utah desert. The May departure date allows the spacecraft to consume the least amount of fuel and also provides the OSIRIS-REx team with the opportunity to plan a final spacecraft flyby of Bennu. This activity was not on the original mission schedule, but the team is studying the feasibility of a final observation run of the

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