OSIRIS-REx Questions Answered: Asteroid Bennu Sample | NASA Science

OSIRIS-REx Questions Answered: Asteroid Bennu Sample | NASA Science

[Replay of Live Q&A] On Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft safely delivered an estimated 8.8 ounces of rocky material collected from the surface of asteroid Bennu to Earth. The sample will be transported to NASA’s Johnson Space Center where it will be opened and studied. 

Updates: NASA scientists found black dust and debris on the avionics deck of the OSIRIS-REx science canister when the initial lid was removed on Sept. 26, 2023. The canister from the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule was delivered to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Sept. 25 after landing in the Utah desert on Sept. 24. 

Johnson Space Center houses the world’s largest collection of astromaterials, and curation experts there will perform the intricate disassembly of the Touch and Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) to get down to the bulk sample within. These operations are happening in a new laboratory designed specifically for the OSIRIS-REx mission. The aluminum lid was removed inside a glovebox designed to enable working with the large piece of hardware.

When the TAGSAM is separated from the canister, it will be inserted in a sealed transfer container to preserve a nitrogen environment for up to about two hours. This container allows enough time for the team to insert the TAGSAM into another unique glovebox. Ultimately, this speeds up the disassembly process. There is a very high level of focus from the team—the sample will be revealed with an amazing amount of precision to accommodate delicate hardware removal so as not to come into contact with the sample inside.

Follow sample-delivery updates on NASA's OSIRIS-REx blog: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/osiris-rex/

OSIRIS-REx NASA page: 

https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex

University of Arizona's OSIRIS-REx Mission Page: 

http://www.asteroidmission.org

University of Arizona's OSIRIS-APEX Mission Page:

https://www.lpl.arizona.edu/missions/osiris-apex

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 1 hour

Release Date: Sept. 26, 2023

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