Canada joins effort to bring piece of asteroid Bennu to Earth

The Canadian Space Agency has  developed and delivered a  Laser Altimeter to Lookheed Martin's Space Systems facility near Denver.

It will be part of the Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) project,  an international effort to collect a sample of Asteroid Bennu and bring it to Earth. 

Canada's laser altimeter will be integrated onto the spacecraft and undergo spacecraft-level testing, before the September 2016 launch.  

Why Bennu?  Bennu has the potential to impact the Earth in the late 2100s. Planning ahead is important.

Details of CSA's laser altimeter: Here

Details of OSIRIS-REx Here  (includes cool image of Asteroid Bennu)