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Osiris Rex sending back first pictures

Posted at 4:32 PM, Sep 26, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-26 21:18:06-04

University of Arizona's space probe Osirix Rex has been on its trip to the asteroid Bennu for about two weeks and is already sending home pictures. 

The first pictures are helping engineers test the cameras.

Camera Engineer Bradley Williams was still in suspense after the launch. He was on the team in Tucson that built the cameras that are millions of miles away.

"Seeing them take images of stars for calibration and getting calibration lamp images, items like that--in space," Williams told KGUN9. "We've always got them in the lab but now we actually have some sense of more than just pride with them but success."

The cameras will help Osiris Rex orbit Bennu to understand how an asteroid might be diverted if it threatens the Earth. 

The cameras will also help the probe take a sample to bring back to Earth for analysis. 

For more information on Osiris Rex, click here