Flying autonomously more than 200 million mi. from Earth, NASA’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft made a delicate and brief descent to the rocky surface of the small asteroid Bennu, aiming to collect a few pounds of pebbles and soil for return to Earth, the first such sample-return mission for the U.S.

The 4.5-hr. touch-and-go maneuver went as planned, though how much material was collected would not be known for several days.

Accessexclusive subscriber-only coverage on the mission, to analyze the samples and learn more about the role asteroids play.

Plus every subscriber has access to our eBook library, featuring updates in supersonics, manned and unmanned innovation in aviation, the renaissance of high-speed air travel, the legends behind the world's first wide-body jet, emerging technologies making their way into the MRO market, technological developments for new satellites & the next generation of space start-ups and the most pressing issues facing military pilots today.

Subscribe today and receive all of this plus exclusive online access at aviationweek.com