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For almost two years, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has been orbiting an asteroid named 101955 Bennu. It’s done tons of science, scanning the rock from many angles. Right now, OSIRIS-REx is preparing to head back to Earth. But before leaving Bennu, the spacecraft reached out and touched the asteroid.

Sometimes space missions can seem a bit faddish. Four spacecraft are currently orbiting Mars, and at least three missions are looking for new planets outside our solar system. But the new hotness, it seems, is asteroids.