OSIRIS-REx is not the first mission to attempt to collect sample material from an asteroid. The most recent is the Japanese Hayabusa 2 spacecraft now returning a capsule to earth from asteroid Ryugu later this year. But hopefully OSIRIS-REx will be the most comprehensive effort to date.
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OSIRIS-REx is not the first mission to attempt to collect sample material from an asteroid. The most recent is the Japanese Hayabusa 2 spacecraft now returning a capsule to earth from asteroid Ryugu later this year. But hopefully OSIRIS-REx will be the most comprehensive effort to date.