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After a seven-year space journey, a NASA capsule landed in the Utah desert, carrying the largest asteroid samples ever collected. Scientists have high hopes for this sample, as it could provide a deeper understanding of our solar system's formation and how Earth became habitable.

The NASA mission, called Osiris-Rex, marked the United States' first sample return mission of this kind. The spacecraft traveled 3.86 billion miles before completing its mission, which involved landing on the asteroid Bennu and collecting roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its surface.

Bill Nelson, the head of NASA, praised the mission and stated that the asteroid dust would offer scientists valuable insights into the early stages of our solar system. This sample return mission is considered historic, with the collected material being the most significant since the Apollo moon rocks.

The capsule's fiery reentry into Earth's atmosphere occurred after it was released from the probe at a high altitude. Despite a parachute deploying at a higher altitude than expected, the capsule landed successfully in a desert wash. NASA ensured that the capsule's air-tight seal remained intact to prevent contamination of the sample.

The Osiris-Rex probe will now redirect its course to another asteroid called Apophis, which is predicted to come within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029.