British singer Sir Brian May said he was “immensely proud” to be part of the team that recently helped NASA return its first ever asteroid sample to Earth.
“Hello NASA folks, space fans, asteroid aficionados. This is Brian May of Queen as you know probably, but also immensely proud to be a team member of OSIRIS-REx,” the 76-year-old musician said in a clip aired on NASA TV Sunday.
Sir Brian played a crucial role in the mission, creating stereoscopic images from the spacecraft’s data that allowed the leader of the mission, Dante Lauretta, and the team to locate a safe site to land and collect a sample.
In the clip, he apologized for not being with the team on the momentous occasion.
“I’m rehearsing for a Queen tour but my heart stays with you as this precious sample is recovered,” he explained.
“Happy sample return day, and congratulations to all who work so incredibly hard on this mission, especially my dear friend Dante.”
“God bless you all,” he added.