Image Credit: Heather Roper/University of Arizona/OSIRIS-REx
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission is slated to launch toward an asteroid in 2016.
And thanks to an innovative participation project, you can take part in an Asteroid Time Capsule – an initiative to collect ideas from the public about space exploration 10 years from now.
Called the Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx), the spacecraft will rendezvous with the asteroid Bennu in 2019.
Once on target, the spacecraft will collect a sample and return the cache in a capsule to Earth in 2023 for detailed study.
When the sample return capsule returns to Earth in 2023 with a minimum of 2 ounces (60 grams) of asteroid material, the mission team will open the time capsule to view the messages and images, at which time the selected submissions will be posted online.
Topics for submission
Topics for submissions by the public should be about solar system exploration in 2014 and predictions for space exploration activities in 2023.
The mission team will choose 50 tweets and 50 images to be placed in the capsule.
Messages can be submitted Sept. 2 – 30.
Want to take the time to be onboard a time capsule? If so, for more information, go to:
http://www.asteroidmission.org/timecapsule
By Leonard David