Jonathan Leake, Science Editor | The Sunday Times

Osiris-Rex is due to reach the Bennu asteroid next week, about 117 years before it is due to pass between the moon and EarthPlanetpix/Alamy

It’s humanity’s first close encounter with an asteroid but the next may be deadlier – a Nasa probe will rendezvous next week with a space rock that some fear is on course to smash into the earth.

The Osiris-Rex mission will reach the Bennu asteroid – a rock that may predate the solar system – where its primary mission is to hover just above it, grab a sample of rock and dust and bring it back to Earth.

“Osiris-Rex is scheduled to arrive at Bennu on Tuesday,” said Nasa. “It will survey the asteroid with five scientific instruments so that the mission team can select a location that is safe and scientifically interesting to collect a sample.”

Asteroids are space rocks – rubble – left over from…