The American space agency has always named their missions with acronyms which are often easy to remember or are those of names of the famous scientists making them part of the everyday vocabulary. The recent space probe launched towards an asteroid that might potentially wipe out humans from the face of the earth is named uncommonly after an ancient Egyptian god king and they have good reasons to do it .
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| OSIRIS-REx |
The OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) mission was successfully launched on 8th September 2016. The mission would go to the asteroid 101955 Bennu and return to earth in 2023 with surface samples for detailed analysis. It is very important for NASA to study Bennu for its carbon rich chemical composition which might foster life and for the 1 in 2700 probability of it destroying the world as we know it. The mission is named after the Egyptian god of the afterlife, the underworld and also of resurrection and regeneration, Osiris.
According to the earliest mentions of the Osiris myth, he was murdered by his brother Set and his body was cut into pieces and thrown across Egypt. His wife Isis later found all the missing pieces and resurrected him back to life allowing him to posthumously conceive a son with her. The myth then follows the son Horus and his rivalry with Set for the throne of Egypt. But most importantly the gods' efforts to bring Osiris back to life made him the first mummy and this is the mystical basis for the Egyptian embalming practices and mummification.
The story is also the influence for the kingship and succession rituals in ancient Egypt. The death king was embalmed and his mummy was associated with Osiris and his successor was to become Horus. Osiris is the god who make the land fertile and life possible and for that reason NASA decided to name the mission after him. In a similar manner, the mission seeks to find samples from the asteroid which may contain organic material bringing the knowledge of life elsewhere.
The name of the asteroid, Bennu also has its fare share in the Egyptian mythology. Bennu is the cosmic bird of regeneration and rebirth who visits the benben stone ( also known as pyramidion and inspiration for the capstones of pyramids and obelisks) of Heliopolis and is associated with Osiris.Of its many references in the ancient hieroglyphics, Bennu is often shown as a grey heron with atef crown that Osiris wears. The phoenix is believed to be inspired from the descriptions of Bennu by famous Greek traveler of 5th century BC, Herodotus.The name was selected through a competition that NASA organised back in 2013.The winner, then 9 year old Michael Puzio suggested the name for its connection with Osiris and that the probe with its solar panels and long neck like instrument to obtain samples reminds of a heron.
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| Bennu on top of the Benben stone |
The Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale on which the asteroid Bennu is currently the second most probable Near Earth Object (NEO) that can have an earth impact estimates our doomsday as early as the year 2175. If it occurs, it can change the history of earth and humanity for ever. Ancient Egyptian surprisingly has a similar view of their Bennu. It is believed to come down to the lands of Egypt only at the turn of a new age marking the start of a new cycle in time. It is hard not to see these parallels that human beings incorporate into smallest of things which makes it more relatable in the grand scheme of life.
References:
1. NASA Near Earth Object Program - http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/a101955.html
2.The planetary society, Michael Puzio's Entry - http://www.planetary.org/get-involved/contests/osirisrex/finalists/michael-puzio.html
3.NASA OSIRIS-REx mission page - http://www.asteroidmission.org/
4. The Orion Mystery , Robert Bauval & Adrian Gilbert ,Arrow Books
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