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Osiris-Rex: Nasa confirms return of asteroid Bennu samples

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The lab team disassembled the capsule, removing its heat-shield and back cover but leaving the sample secure inside an inner canister (pic BBC)

Dusty samples from the “most dangerous known rock in the Solar System” have been brought to Earth.

The American space agency Nasa landed the materials in a capsule that came down in the West Desert of Utah state. The samples had been scooped up from the surface of asteroid Bennu in 2020 by the Osiris-Rex spacecraft.

Nasa wants to learn more about the mountainous object, not least because it has an outside chance of hitting our planet in the next 300 years. But more than this, the samples are likely to provide fresh insights into the formation of the Solar System 4.6 billion years ago and possibly even how life got started on our world.

There was jubilation when the Osiris-Rex team caught sight of their capsule on long-range cameras.

Touchdown on desert land belonging to the Department of Defense was confirmed at 10:52 local time (14:52 GMT), three minutes ahead of schedule.

The car-tyre-sized container had come screaming into the atmosphere over the western US at more than 12km/s (27,000mph). A heatshield and parachutes slowed its descent and dropped it gently, perfectly on to restricted ground.

“This little capsule understood the assignment,” said Tim Priser, the chief engineer at aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin. “It touched down like a feather.”

Cleanliness was the watchword out in the desert. When the recovery teams caught up with the capsule on the ground, their objective was to bring it back to a temporary clean room at the nearby Dugway army base as quickly as possible.

If, as researchers think, the sample contains carbon compounds that may have been involved in the creation of life then mixing the rocky material with present-day Earth chemistry has to be avoided.

“The cleanliness and preventing contamination of the spacecraft has been a really stringent requirement on the mission,” said Mike Morrow, the Osiris-Rex deputy project manager. “The best way that we can protect the sample is just to get it from the field into the clean lab that we’ve set up here in a hangar as quickly as possible and get it under a pure nitrogen gas purge. And then it’s safe.”

This was achieved just before 13:00 local time, a mere four hours after touchdown. The lab team disassembled the capsule, removing its heat-shield and back cover but leaving the sample secure inside an inner canister.

(BBC)



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It is our collective responsibility to build a nation grounded in unity and strength – President

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President Anura Kumara Disanayake in his Maha Shiva rathri message said that it is our collective responsibility to build a nation grounded in unity and strength.

The full text of the message issued by the President’s media division:

Maha Shiva Rathri is a sacred and joyous occasion celebrated by Hindu devotees across the world in reverence of Lord Shiva. This divine night marks the celestial union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, as well as the powerful Tandava, Shiva’s cosmic dance of creation and destruction. It symbolises the triumph of wisdom over ignorance, dispelling the darkness of illusion and lighting the path to enlightenment.

On this auspicious night, Hindu devotees observe fasting and engage in spiritual practices, praying for the darkness of ignorance to be replaced by the radiance of wisdom. It is also a time to seek divine blessings for prosperity, peace and fulfilment in life.

The union of Shiva and Parvati is a profound representation of knowledge and power coming together. It reminds us that breaking free from the illusions of division allows us to embrace the truth with open eyes. Today, as we stand at the dawn of a new era, this message is more relevant than ever. Let us tear down the barriers that have kept us apart for generations and unite as one, casting aside discord and embracing togetherness. This is a moment to nurture interfaith harmony, celebrate our diversity and move forward with love and mutual respect, dedicating ourselves to the progress of our beloved motherland.

As we journey towards a brighter future, it is our collective responsibility to build a nation grounded in unity and strength. We are stepping into a time of transformation, embracing political, economic and social renewal, shaping a future that holds promise and hope for all.

On this sacred night, as the glowing lamps of Maha Shiva Rathri illuminate our surroundings, let them also illuminate our hearts, guiding us with unwavering faith along the path we have chosen. Let us walk forward together, hand in hand, in the spirit of peace, unity and shared prosperity.

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Chile power outage leaves millions without electricity

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An officer directing traffic in Santiago, where the power outage has affected traffic signals and other transport, including the city's metro [BBC]

Millions of people are thought to be without electricity across Chile after a large nationwide power outage.

According to the national service for disaster prevention and response (SENAPRED), an area spanning most of the country is impacted, including the capital city, Santiago.

The exact scale of the outage, which began earlier on Tuesday, is not yet known but SENAPRED has said it covers the regions of Arica and Parinacota in the north to Los Lagos in the south.

Reuters news agency has also reported that the world’s largest copper mine, Escondida, is without power, citing a source close to the matter.

LATAM Airlines said that some of its flights may also be disrupted while power supplies were down, and urged passengers to check their journey status.

In a post on X, the Santiago Metro operator said its service had been temporarily suspended due to the ongoing power outage, with stations being evacuated and closed.

Footage from the city showed passengers evacuating stations by walking up switched-off escalators, while traffic signals were also shown not working.

There were also long queues for buses which were still running on the city’s roads.

Maria Angelica Roman, 45, told AFP news agency: “They let us leave work because of the power cut, but now I don’t know how we will get home because all the buses are full.”

Chile’s interior minister, Carolina Toha, also posted on X to say that a meeting would be called to discuss ongoing measures to restore services.

SENAPRED added that electricity companies across the impacted area were investigating the fault and attempting to restart services, and no emergency situations had been reported.

[BBC]

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ICRC pledges support for government initiatives

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President Anura Kumara Disanayake met with Ms. Severine Chappaz, the newly appointed Head of Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), on Tuesday (25) at the Presidential Secretariat.

Discussions focused on the ICRC’s support for the new government’s policy framework. As part of this collaboration, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society has agreed to provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to strengthen the Office on Missing Persons (OMP).

President Disanayake highlighted that the budget 2025 has allocated funds for on-going programs related to searching for missing persons.

Additionally, the President announced plans to celebrate “Sri Lankan Day” as a national initiative aimed at fostering unity and strengthening the country’s collective identity, transcending ethnic and religious differences.

The President expressed his gratitude to the ICRC for its humanitarian operations in Sri Lanka since 1989 and acknowledged its continued commitment to the country.

The meeting was also attended by Roshan Gamage, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, and Ruwanthi Jayasundara, Communications Manager of the ICRC.

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