NASA’s Week of Accomplishments: Record Return from Space, Asteroid Sample Mission Success, and More

Sunday - October 1 2023, 18:51 UTC - 1 year ago

NASA's first asteroid sample return mission is back on Earth along with a record ride in space for a NASA astronaut. Teams at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility have attached four RS-25 engines to the core stage and Artemis II astronauts are going through prelaunch tests. An annular solar eclipse is crossing the US on October 14.

NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission is back on Earth. A record ride in space for a NASA astronaut. And NASA’s Artemis II mission is making prelaunch progress. A few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA! .

On September 24, the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule – with samples of rock and dust from asteroid Bennu – made its historic return to Earth, marking the end of NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission.

"And touchdown of the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule!" .

The next day, the sample return capsule was flown to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where the sample material inside it will be cared for, stored, and shared with scientists around the world.

The week saw another historic return from space – this one on September 27 – by NASA astronaut Frank Rubio. After spending a U.S. record-setting 371 days in space, Rubio landed safely in Kazakhstan, along with two crewmates.

"Rubio’s record ride comes to an end." .

Rubio’s extended mission provides researchers the opportunity to observe the effects of long-duration spaceflight on humans.

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have structurally joined all four RS-25 engines onto the core stage of NASA’s Artemis II Moon rocket. Meanwhile, the Artemis II astronauts recently completed the first in a series of integrated ground system tests at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The Artemis II flight test around the Moon and back is the agency’s first crewed mission under Artemis.

On October 14, an annular solar eclipse will cross the U.S. from Oregon to Texas. An annular eclipse is also known as a "ring of fire" eclipse because the Moon doesn’t entirely block out the Sun – but instead leaves a bright ring of Sun. Learn more about eclipses at solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses.

That’s what’s up this week @NASA.