--- title: NASA Launches Asteroid Mission to Return Soil Sample: Watch description: NASA is launching the first U.S. mission Thursday to collect a sample from an asteroid and return it to Earth for scientific study canonical: https://time.com/4483844/nasa-launch-asteroid-mission/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-09-08T18:23:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T00:28:19.365Z article:section: Science og:title: Watch Live: NASA Launches Mission to Explore Nearby Asteroid og:description: This is the first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid og:url: https://time.com/4483844/nasa-launch-asteroid-mission/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Watch Live: NASA Launches Mission to Explore Nearby Asteroid twitter:description: This is the first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Watch Live: NASA Launches Mission to Explore Nearby Asteroid > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Sep 8, 2016 6:23 PM UTC  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Sep 8, 2016 6:23 PM UTC [NASA](http://nasa.gov) is launching the first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an [asteroid](http://time.com/4313966/asteroid-science-comet/) and return it to Earth for scientific study. The [mission](http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/osiris%5Frex%5Ffactsheet5-9.pdf)—known as OSIRIS-REx—will launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla. at 7:05 p.m. EDT Thursday and reach the asteroid Bennu in August 2018\. The spacecraft will survey the asteroid looking for potential sites to collect a sample before touching the surface for just 5 seconds to pick up dirt and rocks. The sample is expected to return in September 2023. The mission will provide new insight into asteroids and allow scientists a better understanding of the substances that comprise the surface. Asteroids like Bennu contain a wide variety of natural resources including water and metal. 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