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Brian May has proven once again why he is rock royalty. Not only is he the guitarist for Queen, he is also an astrophysicist who recently helped out NASA returns the first ever asteroid sample to ground.
May said he was “extremely proud” to be part of the team that collected the sample from the asteroid Bennu.
“Hey NASA people, space fans, asteroid fans. This is Brian May from Queen as you probably know, but he’s also very proud to be a member of the OSIRIS-REx team,” the 76-year-old musician said. IThe clip aired on NASA TV on Sunday.
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft flew by Earth on Sunday, seven years after it was launched into space to collect samples from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. The sample was collected from An asteroid more than 4.5 billion years old In 2020, before setting off on a journey back to Earth, specifically Utah, in 2021.
He played a crucial role in the mission, Create stereoscopic images From spacecraft data that allowed mission commander Dante Lauretta and the team to determine a safe landing site and collect the sample.
In the clip, May apologized for not being with the team on this important occasion.
“I am rehearsing for the Queen Tour but my heart will remain with you as we recover this precious specimen,” he explained.
“Happy Sample Return Day, and congratulations to all who are working incredibly hard on this mission, especially my dear friend Dante.”
He added: “May God bless you all.”
After landing the sample capsule in Utah, OSIRIS-REx was launched Continue her travels The US space agency said the mission was to study a different asteroid named Apophis.