The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, launched in September 2016, is now less than a month away from bringing back samples from asteroid Bennu. NASA conducted a press conference on Aug. 30 to preview the Sept. 24 landing at the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah.
To prepare for the landing, NASA conducted an end-to-end capsule retrieval exercise on Tuesday, Aug. 29 at Dugway. The test capsule was set down onto the playa where the OSIRIS-REx capsule is expected to land, and teams retrieved the test capsule using the same methods, tools, and procedures they will use on landing day.