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Astroid 1999

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RQ36 may hold clues to how life began on our planet,

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but it also may be headed straight for us in the year 2182.

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To better understand both the potential scientific and literal impacts of this

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1,900 foot diameter astroid, the OSIRIS-REx mission will

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give us a closer look. OSIRIS-REx stands for Origins, Specteral Interpretaion,

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Resource Identification, Security -REgolith and Explorer. Scheduled

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for launch in 2016 the OSIRIS-REx mission will collect the first samples taken from

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this special type of asteroid, holding clues to the origin of the solar system,

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and likely organic molecules that may have seeded life on Earth.

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Researchers will examine the RQ36's orbit, explore its regolith,

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and examine the composition and potential for resources, like water and metals.

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OSIRIS-REx will collect samples that will be useful for decades of

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future research.

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Once the samples

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return to Earth in 2023, scientists will be able to potentially reveal how life

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started on the planet. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center will manage the project

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and provide the OVIRS visible and infrared spectrometer instrument.

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Principle Investigator Dr. Michael Drake,