Why NASA Picked Space Rock Bennu for Its Asteroid-Sampling Mission

NASA had literally thousands of potential targets for its asteroid-sampling OSIRIS-REx mission, which is scheduled to launch Thursday (Sept. 8) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station here. "Bennu's size, primitive and carbon-rich composition and orbit make it one of the most fascinating and accessible asteroids, and that is why it was ultimately chosen as the target asteroid for the OSIRIS-REx mission," Christina Richey, OSIRIS-REx deputy program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington,