At 10:52 a.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, OSIRIS-REx brought back 8.8 ounces (250 grams) of rock and soil samples collected from the surface of asteroid Bennu, and the capsule also landed successfully on the U.S. Department of Defense Utah Military Proving Ground.
OSIRIS-REx was launched in 2016 and landed on the rocky surface of the asteroid Bennu in 2020, collecting 250 grams of dust samples and bringing them back to Earth. It is also NASA’s first attempt to collect samples from the surface of an asteroid.
The 490-meter (1,610-foot) diameter asteroid Bennu was discovered in 1999. Experts believe Bennu is low-density and rich in life-bearing carbon, and its minerals also contain water. Bennu is currently about 81 million kilometers away from the Earth. Experts estimate that this asteroid has a 0.037% chance of hitting the Earth in 2182.
This is the third asteroid sample in history, but the amount carried this time is larger than the similar samples collected by Japan in 2010 and 2020.
According to NASA’s announcement in October 2020, the probe collected “too many” 400 grams of samples after landing on the surface of Bennu, far exceeding the original plan of 60 grams. As a result, the vehicle storing the samples could not be closed, forcing NASA to take emergency measures. Measures to avoid reducing sample loss.
There were concerns that the capsule could be damaged on impact and that the Earth’s atmosphere could begin to seep in and contaminate the samples. Therefore, NASA also seized the time and transported the capsule to a nearby temporary dust-free clean room by helicopter within an hour and a half. There, the separation chamber is purged with nitrogen and inert gas is continuously poured into the sample box to flush away any potential contamination.
NASA said that the unopened sample boxes will be flown to the Johnson Space Center in Houston on Monday, and preliminary results are expected to be released on the 11th of next month.
“Congratulations to the OSIRIS-REx team on a wonderful mission – the first U.S. asteroid sample return in history, which will deepen our understanding of the origin of the solar system and its formation,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson )explain.
Nielsen said Bennu is a potentially hazardous asteroid, and what people learn from the samples will also help better understand the types of asteroids that may emerge.
Next, NASA expects to launch the Psyche probe within a few weeks to continue its next asteroid detection mission.
