NASA to Launch OSIRIS-REX to Investigate the Asteroid That Could Probably Cause Destruction to Earth

NASA has recently received an information about an asteroid that could possibly hit the Earth in 2135. Because of fear, the space organization decided to launch a probe that will help them learn more about the celestial object and the impact it can cause once it collide with Earth.

According to experts, the said asteroid, which is named Bennu, has already been seen on the Earth's orbit as it usually crosses the path every six years. It has a diameter of about 500 meters and has a speed of 63,000 mph as it travels around the sun, as reported by Independent.

Past data showed how it has been travelling in the space without creating such huge impact, but that will not always be the case. Information gathered showed the terrifying possibility that this celestial object might cause the Earth's Armageddon by 2135, as noted by Huffington Post.

The Professor of Planetary Science at Arizona University Dante Lauretta said in an interview, "That 2135 fly-by is going to tweak Bennu's orbit, potentially putting it on course for the Earth later that century." If that happens, based on its speed and size, the collision will surely create an "immense suffering and death," he added.

Because of the possibility, experts say it's crucial to start an investigation towards the Bennu asteroid. Every information gathered will surely be very useful especially towards that century's generation.

That is why NASA, with Mr. Lauretta as the principal investigator, is determined to launch the Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer (Osiris-Rex) this September. The spacecraft is expected to land on the asteroid's ground by 2018 and be able to gather enough data before it heads back to Earth by 2023.

The goal of the mission is to be able to accurately calculate if the asteroid is really a threat to Earth's existence or not. Through Osiris-Rex, experts will be able to study Bennu's mineralogy, chemical makeup and geological history, according to Daily Caller.