NASA spacecraft just days away from rendezvous with asteroid Bennu

Early Monday afternoon, a NASA probe that's spent the last two years flying alone through space will finally reach its destination – a near-Earth asteroid that could hold clues on the origins of our solar system, and life itself. The Osiris-Rex spacecraft is set for its long-awaited rendezvous with the space rock'Bennu' between 11:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. ET on Dec 3, when NASA will air a live event kicking off its first asteroid sample return mission. Just last week, Osiris-Rex flexed its mechanical arm through a full range of motion for the first time in space ahead of reaching Bennu; eventually, this instrument will be used to pluck a sample of loose dirt and rock from the surface to bring back home. The craft has now travelled more than a billion miles since launching from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in September 2016. Early Monday afternoon, a NASA probe that's spent the last two years flying alone through space will finally reach its destination – a near-Earth asteroid that could hold clues on the origins of our solar system, and life itself.