MEDFORD, Ore. – A local helicopter company had the opportunity to help recover a NASA spacecraft, that landed yesterday after years in space.
Timberland Helicopters Incorporated is a charter helicopter company based in Ashland.
They primarily do power line patrol and other works with Pacific Corp, as well as some firefighting.
Timberland also has an aircraft base in Utah, which is where NASA’s Osiris- Rex mission spacecraft landed.
In 2016, the spacecraft started its mission to an asteroid that orbits the sun at a distance closer than earth.
It aimed to collect samples from the asteroid that could give us insight into the early solar system and the origins of life on earth.
Timberland president, Mark Gibson says it was honor to contribute to the mission.
He said, “it’s the first time that this sort of mission has ever taken place, so it was definitely exciting to be a part of it. Our operations people out there, I think were pretty excited about it and just thrilled that we were part of it and that everything went very successfully…”
Timberland was able to help ensure the safety of the samples, bringing it back to NASA’s facilities.
They say that the samples are believed to provide invaluable data for researchers, and even offer clues about the building blocks of life.
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