The final hurdle to call up the full sample distribution of asteroid Bennu compile by OSIRIS - REx – the first asteroid fall sample in US history – has at last been overcome . NASA technicians have been able-bodied to successfully remove the two fasteners from the sampling station headland that have been preclude them from opening the cannister fully since September . This canister shot opening has to be impart under the most pristine conditions to not contaminate the sample , so this was quite the event . Now , NASA can get to the pristine material fromasteroid Bennu .
Since they could n’t just take a rotary saw and sheer through it , once they realizedtwo of the 35 fasteners could n’t be removed with the available and O.K. tools , researcher had to acquire new peter that would do the job .
“ Our technologist and scientists have worked tirelessly behind the scenes for months to not only process themore than 70 gramsof material we were able to access previously , but also contrive , rise , and test new tools that allow us to move past this hurdle , ” Eileen Stansbery , section chief for ARES ( Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science ) at NASA ’s Johnson Space Center , read in astatement .
Astromaterials processors Mari Montoya, left, and Curtis Calva, right, use tools to collect asteroid particles from the base of the OSIRIS-REx science canister in September 2023.Image credit: NASA
“ The invention and dedication of this squad has been remarkable . We are all activated to see the remain gem OSIRIS - male monarch reserve . ”
The Modern dick were made of a specific grade of surgical , non - magnetic unsullied blade ; the hardest alloy approved for use in the pristine curation gloveboxes . Before it was used on the precious container it was tested in the rehearsal science lab .
“ In improver to the pattern challenge of being determine to curation - approved materials to protect the scientific value of the asteroid sample , these new tools also needed to function within the tightly - confine space of the glovebox , bound their height , weight unit , and potential arc movement , ” suppose Dr Nicole Lunning , OSIRIS - king curator at Johnson .
“ The curation team demonstrate impressive resilience and did incredible work to get these stubborn fastener off the TAGSAM head so we can continue disassembly . We are overjoyed with the winner . ”
The team was capable to remove about 70.3 gramme of fabric ( 2.48 ounces ) from asteroid Bennu before even fetch to the volume of the action , cover behind the fasteners . The mission ’s finish has already been surpassed with that sampling alone and the bounteousness waiting for the scientist will deliver so much more . A portion of the sample isalready availablefor the general public to see .
Asteroid Bennu , themost unsafe known asteroid , is a window into the very beginning of the Solar System . A primitive space rock that has remain mostly unaltered for million of years , hit the books its physical and chemic belongings could give us wind about the construction blocks of planet as they were make 4.5 billion years ago .
