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A few weeks ago, OSIRIS-REx delivered priceless Bennu samples to Earth. NASA’s Johnson Space Center will livestream the opening of the canister today, revealing the precious material. To avoid contamination from Earth’s atmosphere, the asteroid bits will be opened in a glovebox.
On Wednesday, October 11, showtime is 11 am EDT (4 pm BST). NASA collected its first asteroid sample. The capsule traveled seven years and billions of kilometers to orbit Bennu and return with 250 grams of pristine material. It contains the most cosmic material from beyond the Moon.
The Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism isn’t all that matters. To collect material from Bennu’s surface, the TAGSAM must be disassembled carefully. Complexity and labyrinthine structure were used to avoid Earth contamination. This paid off twice.
The sample was protected, and researchers had the best problem disassembling it in the last few weeks. From the sample return capsule lid to the inside, they found asteroid material. Having more is always good.
“The very best ‘problem’ to have is that there is so much material, it’s taking longer than we expected to collect it,” deputy OSIRIS-REx curation lead Christopher Snead said. “A lot of interesting material is outside the TAGSAM head. Having all that material is amazing.”
The livestream will focus on opening the TAGSAM, which is designed to isolate the contents. From capsule collection in the Utah desert to sample distribution to scientists, the entire process has been practiced for months.
Bennu samples will be distributed to scientific teams after today. About 75% will be saved for analysis. Standard procedure. About 60% of Hayabusa2’s 2020 Ryugu sample was stored.
The Johnson Space Center will store some Bennu material, but some will be sent elsewhere in case of damage. Some samples will be analyzed worldwide, so researchers must decide and practice how to transport the precious material.
We’ll hand-carry them. So either I or a colleague will go over and collect them from the Johnson Space Center,” Natural History Museum, London OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team member Professor Sara Russell told IFLScience. But the Johnson Space Center is happy to courier them too. This required practice. Everything about this mission is practiced.”
NASA TV, the NASA app, and the NASA website will stream the sample opening.
