NASA is possibly hours away from achieving a world first, when it attempts to land a space craft on an asteroid, collect a sample and then return to earth.
Just before midday, New Zealand time, Osiris-Rex is scheduled to land on the asteroid "Bennu".
Five seconds later it will take off, hopefully with handfuls of dust and grit on board. If it brings fragments home successfully, there is hope it can provide information about the origins of our solar system.
NASA scientist Jose Aponte speaks to Susie Ferguson.
