NASA craft to collect rock sample from 'doomsday' asteroid in 'touch-and go' mission

dailystar.co.uk:

NASA spacecraft will this week try to descend on an asteroid and bring back a sample of space rock in a "touch-and-go" 10-second mission.The Osiris-Rex has been circling the Bennu asteroid for nearly two years hundreds of millions of miles from Earth.But on Tuesday, it will descend onto the boulder-packed surface to try and collect a handful of dirt and gravel.The mission, which will see the van-sized spacecraft placed on autopilot, will last just five to 10 seconds and hopes to bring back 60g worth of Bennu.After dropping out of its half-mile-high orbit around the asteroid, the spacecraft is set to take a deliberate four-hour detour until it is just above the surface.Next, an 11ft robotic arm will reach out and grab the sample.Controllers.