NASA Removes Stuck Fasteners to Reveal Asteroid Materials from OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft
NASA has successfully removed two stubborn fasteners on the lid of a return capsule from its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, unveiling the materials it collected from an asteroid. The space agency announced this exciting development on Friday, marking a significant milestone in the mission.
OSIRIS-REx embarked on a historic seven-year, 4 billion-mile round-trip journey to gather samples from the carbon-rich space rock known as Bennu. In September, the spacecraft completed its mission and returned to Earth with a return capsule containing precious asteroid materials.
However, the astromaterials curation team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston encountered a challenge when they discovered that two of the 35 fasteners on the capsule’s lid were stuck. Despite their best efforts, the team was unable to remove the fasteners using the approved tools inside the OSIRIS-REx glovebox.
Fortunately, NASA’s dedicated team of experts persisted and eventually succeeded in removing the stubborn fasteners. As a result, they gained access to the bulk of the asteroid materials that had been previously inaccessible. The remaining samples consist of dust and rocks up to approximately 0.4 inches (one cm) in size. The final mass of the sample will be determined in the coming weeks.
The space agency plans to release a catalog of all the Bennu samples later this year. This catalog will serve as a valuable resource for scientists and institutions worldwide, allowing them to submit requests for research or even display the asteroid debris. It presents an exciting opportunity for researchers to delve into the mysteries of our solar system and gain new insights into the composition and history of asteroids.
In addition to this achievement, NASA has already set its sights on another ambitious mission. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, now renamed OSIRIS-APEX (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Apophis Explorer), will embark on a second mission to the asteroid Apophis. This asteroid is expected to pass closer to Earth in 2029 than any other similarly-sized asteroid in recorded history.
During this upcoming mission, OSIRIS-APEX will descend within 16 feet of Apophis’ surface and utilize its thrusters to stir up rocks and dust. This maneuver will provide scientists with a unique opportunity to study the asteroid’s composition and gain insights into its internal structure.
Apophis, aptly nicknamed the “God of Chaos,” is a massive space rock measuring over 1,000 feet wide. The mission to explore this intriguing celestial body holds great promise for advancing our understanding of asteroids and their potential impact on Earth.
As NASA continues to push the boundaries of space exploration, these groundbreaking missions pave the way for future discoveries and scientific advancements. The successful removal of the fasteners on the OSIRIS-REx return capsule signifies a major breakthrough in accessing precious asteroid materials. With the upcoming mission to Apophis, scientists eagerly anticipate unraveling more secrets hidden within our cosmic neighborhood.
Exciting times lie ahead as we embark on a journey of exploration and unravel the mysteries of our universe. Stay tuned for more updates on NASA’s remarkable achievements in space exploration.
[Note: The article has been written in a magazine-style format, presenting the information in a narrative manner while preserving the core facts and main arguments of the original news article.]