NASA has released a stunning close-up image of an asteroid from one of its spacecraft, setting a new record for the closest ever orbit of a planetary body.
The picture was captured on June 13, shortly after OSIRIS-REx began a new phase of its mission, known as Orbital B.
The manoeuvre saw the craft orbit just 680 metres above the surface of asteroid Bennu as it travelled through space more than 90 million miles from Earth.
鈥淔rom the spacecraft鈥檚 vantage point in orbit, half of Bennu is sunlit and half is in shadow,鈥� .
鈥淏ennu鈥檚 largest boulder can also be seen protruding from the southern hemisphere.鈥�
At such close range, details as small as half a metre can be seen in the centre of the image.
Bennu is one of the smallest objects ever visited by spacecraft, NASA said.
For the remaining part of its mission the spacecraft will map the entire asteroid using its onboard instruments.
All of the measurements will be used to select the best sample collection site on Bennu鈥檚 surface, .
鈥淭his sample of a primitive asteroid will help scientists understand the formation of the Solar System over 4.5 billion years ago,鈥� NASA wrote.
Sample collection is scheduled for summer of 2020, and the spacecraft will deliver the sample to Earth in September 2023.
OSIRIS-REx, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, was launched in 2016 on a seven year mission to study Bennu.
