NASA's asteroid sample mission to begin journey back to Earth

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(Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/Lockheed Martin)

NASA's first asteroid sample mission will start its journey home Monday.

The spacecraft OSIRIS-REx will leave the asteroid Bennu starting around 4 p.m. EST.

The spacecraft has been on its missing at the asteroid since launching in 2018.

OSIRIS-REx orbited the space rock and took pictures before landing and taking rock samples.

Scientists hope the organic material will tell us about how life may have started here on earth.

OSIRIS-REx is set to arrive back on Earth in September of 2023.

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