On this week’s special space news update…

OSIRIS-REx Capsule

The OSIRIS-REx capsule lands...

Record-Breaking Astronaut

A record-breaking Arab astronaut returns home...

Staying Strong in Space

And astronauts stay strong in space.

First up…

OSIRIS-REx

On September 24th, the long-awaited Osiris-Rex capsule safely landed in the Utah desert, carrying some very precious cargo.  
Its journey began in 2016 when NASA launched the Osiris-Rex spacecraft on a mission to collect a sample from an asteroid called Bennu.

Bennu   

Measuring nearly a third of a mile wide, Bennu is thought to have broken off a much larger asteroid over 700 million years ago.
But the rock it's made of could be more than 4.5 billion years old—a similar age to the Earth.
Scientists hope this sample from Bennu could give them new insights into Earth's early history, including clues about how life began on Earth.

The return of the capsule marks an end to this seven-year space mission—but the spacecraft will now travel to explore another asteroid in 2029.  Now that the capsule has landed, scientists from around the world will begin to carry out experiments on small amounts of the sample.  
However, 75% will be put in storage for the next generation of scientists to study, with technology that is yet to be invented, in the hope to learn even more in the future.  

Up next…

International Space Station

The International Space Station, known as ISS, has been home to many astronauts. 
In March 2023, the NASA Crew-6 mission launched, carrying four more astronauts to the space station.

Sultan Al Neyadi

On board was Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, who, alongside NASA astronaut Steve Bowen, spent over six hours working in outer space where they carried out upgrades to the station's power system.  
In doing so, Sultan Al Neyadi became the first Arab man to complete a spacewalk outside the space station. And his record-breaking achievements did not stop there. After spending six months onboard the ISS, he also holds the record for the longest space mission completed by an Arab astronaut.  
Now, since recovering from his time in space, he has returned home to the United Arab Emirates, where he hopes that his work and achievements on the space station will help inspire future generations.  

And finally…

Keeping fit is an important part of everyday life, even in space! Astronauts need to exercise for two and a half hours a day to maintain working muscles and bones, which can shrink in size and strength by as much as 20% in space. 

Now an international team of scientists and researchers are collaborating to trial a new device for keeping fit in space. The device uses electrodes to send electrical pulses to an astronaut's muscles.   

The pulses cause the muscles to contract and relax in a similar way to exercise, helping them maintain strength. It is hoped that this will help reduce the amount of daily exercise astronauts need to do, and will also help with their recovery when they return to Earth. Over the next three years, the device will be tested by astronauts in space and the data will be analyzed to see if it works. If the device is successful, scientists hope that it could be used in some medical treatments for rebuilding muscle strength back on Earth too. 

That's all for this week’s space special, we'll see you next time!