NASA's curation team unlocks complete access to asteroid Bennu samples

NASA's curation team has secured access to the remaining samples recovered from the near Earth asteroid Bennu. Initially having difficulties removing two bolts from the sampling head owing to tool constraints, the Johnson Space Center's curation team in Houston surmounted this difficulty. These samples were obtained from the mission, launched in 2016.

The pristine asteroid samples consisting of dust and rocks arrived on September 24, 2023, which marked the first U.S. asteroid return mission This tiny amount of surface samples is extremely valuable to the space community since they provide critical insights into the solar system's creation 4.5 billion years ago.

With full access to the samples now obtained, attempts are underway to disassemble the Touch and Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism ( ). This development marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to unravel the mysteries of our celestial origins. “Our engineers and scientists have worked tirelessly behind the scenes for months to not only process the more than 70 grams of material we were able to access previously, but also design, develop, and test new tools that allowed us to move past this hurdle,” said Eileen Stansbery, division chief for (Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science) at Johnson.

“The innovation and dedication of this team has been remarkable. We are all excited to see the remaining treasure OSIRIS REx holds,” Stansbery added. The next steps ahead Following disassembly, the researchers will take ultra high resolution photos of the sample within the TAGSAM head. Subsequently, this sample segment will be extracted and weighed, allowing the team to ascertain the total mass of Bennu material collected during the mission.

The disassembly of the TAGSAM head gear was suspended in mid October after two of the 35 fasteners proved difficult to remove using the equipment approved for use within the OSIRIS REx glovebox. To overcome this challenge, the team designed and created two innovative multi part tools to facilitate the continued dismantling of the TAGSAM container head.

Current samples measure over 70.3 grams NASA set an objective of returning at least 60 grams of soil sample to Earth. The curation crew had already collected 2.48 ounces (70.3 grams) of asteroid material from the sample device, exceeding the aim. Some Bennu samples will be held at room temperature, while others will be kept at 112 Fahrenheit ( 80 degrees Celsius).

The curation team intends to provide a full catalog of the OSIRIS REx samples this spring, giving the scientific community worldwide access. "This success reaffirms the significance of OSIRIS REx and our commitment to advancing our understanding of the cosmos. We eagerly anticipate the next chapter as we share these precious samples with the global scientific community and continue our journey of discovery," said Dante Lauretta, mission's principal investigator and Regents Professor at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, in the ..