>> Whit: WELCOME BACK TO GMA AND THE BILLION DOLLAR MISSION THAT THE BILLION DOLLAR MISSION THAT COULD TELL US MORE ABOUT THE COULD TELL US MORE ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF EARTH. ORIGINS OF EARTH. A SPACESHIP IS ON THE WAY WITH A SPACESHIP IS ON THE WAY WITH PRECIOUS CARGO, NINE OUNCES THAT PRECIOUS CARGO, NINE OUNCES THAT EXISTED BEFORE PLANET EARTH, EXISTED BEFORE PLANET EARTH, DATING BACK TO 4.5 BILLION YEARS DATING BACK TO 4.5 BILLION YEARS AGO. AGO. A SPACESHIP LANDING ON A MOVING A SPACESHIP LANDING ON A MOVING ASTEROID SPEEDING THROUGH SPACE ASTEROID SPEEDING THROUGH SPACE AT 62,000 MILES PER HOUR. AT 62,000 MILES PER HOUR. OSIRIS-REX LANDING WITH EXTREME OSIRIS-REX LANDING WITH EXTREME PRECISION AND SEVEN YEARS LATER PRECISION AND SEVEN YEARS LATER OSIRIS-REX IS 24 HOURS AWAY FROM OSIRIS-REX IS 24 HOURS AWAY FROM RETURNING TO EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE RETURNING TO EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE TO DROP OFF A PACKAGE, AND THE TO DROP OFF A PACKAGE, AND THE MISSION IS JUST AS INTENSE. MISSION IS JUST AS INTENSE. >> IT TAKES DELICATE, SPECIAL >> IT TAKES DELICATE, SPECIAL HANDS AND ADDS AN ADDED LEVEL OF HANDS AND ADDS AN ADDED LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY TO HANDLE THE SMALL DIFFICULTY TO HANDLE THE SMALL PRECIOUS PARTICLES AND STUDY AND PRECIOUS PARTICLES AND STUDY AND PREPARE THEM FOR A LOT OF WAYS PREPARE THEM FOR A LOT OF WAYS SCIENTISTS AROUND THE WORLD SCIENTISTS AROUND THE WORLD WANTS TO STUDY THEM. WANTS TO STUDY THEM. >> Whit: OSIRIS-REX LANDED AND >> Whit: OSIRIS-REX LANDED AND PICKED UP A PIECE OF THE PICKED UP A PIECE OF THE ASTEROID. ASTEROID. >> IT IS GOING TO GIVE US A NEW >> IT IS GOING TO GIVE US A NEW INSIGHT INTO UNDERSTANDING HOW INSIGHT INTO UNDERSTANDING HOW OUR SOLAR SYSTEM FORMED AND THE OUR SOLAR SYSTEM FORMED AND THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE THAT MAY BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN CONTRIBUTED TO THE HAVE BEEN CONTRIBUTED TO THE PLANETS ON EARTH AND IF WE HAVE PLANETS ON EARTH AND IF WE HAVE LIFE ELSEWHERE IN THE SOLAR LIFE ELSEWHERE IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM. SYSTEM. >> Whit: OSIRIS-REX CLOCKED 4.4 >> Whit: OSIRIS-REX CLOCKED 4.4 BILLION MILES AND TOMORROW IT BILLION MILES AND TOMORROW IT WILL RELEASES IT CARGO OVER UTAH WILL RELEASES IT CARGO OVER UTAH AND IF THE SKIES ARE CLEAR AND IF THE SKIES ARE CLEAR ANYONE IN SALT LAKE CITY MAY BE ANYONE IN SALT LAKE CITY MAY BE ABLE TO SEE IT HAPPEN AT 4:41 ABLE TO SEE IT HAPPEN AT 4:41 A.M. MOUNTAIN TIME, AND IF IT IS A.M. MOUNTAIN TIME, AND IF IT IS SUCCESSFUL, THE SPACECRAFT THAT SUCCESSFUL, THE SPACECRAFT THAT COULD, OSIRIS-REX GOES BACK INTO COULD, OSIRIS-REX GOES BACK INTO DEEP SPACE FOR THE NEXT MISSION, DEEP SPACE FOR THE NEXT MISSION, TO COLLECT A SAMPLE FROM ANOTHER TO COLLECT A SAMPLE FROM ANOTHER ASTEROID. ASTEROID. >> THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF >> THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF SCIENTISTS AROUND THE WORLD WHO SCIENTISTS AROUND THE WORLD WHO ARE SUPER EXCITED TO STUDY THE ARE SUPER EXCITED TO STUDY THE SAMPLES AND ANSWER NEW SAMPLES AND ANSWER NEW SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS THAT WE SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ANSWER HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ANSWER WITH THE SAMPLES WE HAVE ON WITH THE SAMPLES WE HAVE ON EARTH. EARTH. >> WHEN IT RELEASES THE CARGO IT >> WHEN IT RELEASES THE CARGO IT WILL DO IT FROM 63,000 MILES WILL DO IT FROM 63,000 MILES ABOVE THE SURFACE. ABOVE THE SURFACE. IT IS LIKE HITTING A HOLE-IN-ONE IT IS LIKE HITTING A HOLE-IN-ONE FROM 63,000 MILES AWAY. FROM 63,000 MILES AWAY. >> Janai: MY GOSH. >> Janai: MY GOSH. >> Whit: THE LITTLE SPACESHIP >> Whit: THE LITTLE SPACESHIP THAT COULD, I THINK I CAN. THAT COULD, I THINK I CAN. I THINK I CAN. I THINK I CAN. >> Janai: THIS COULD BE SO COOL >> Janai: THIS COULD BE SO COOL WHEN SCIENTISTS CAN STUDY IT. WHEN SCIENTISTS CAN STUDY IT. >> WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM IT IS >> WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM IT IS SO AMAZING.