Posted: Sun, Nov 1, 2020, 12:54 PM ET (1754 GMT)
A canister holding samples collected from the surface of an asteroid is now safely stowed in a NASA spacecraft. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collected the samples from the surface of the asteroid Bennu last week, but NASA moved up plans to stow the container in a sample return capsule after images showed material from the asteroid leaking out. Project officials said Thursday that the canister is now sealed in the sample return capsule, and that they lost only "tens of grams" of material out of at least one kilogram collected. OSIRIS-REx will leave the vicinity of Bennu in March, returning to Earth in September 2023.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  New York Times article
•  The Verge article
•  Sky & Telescope article
•  NASA press release