NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft delivered 4.29 ounces of material from the asteroid Bennu to Earth, greatly exceeding its mission goal and completing an unprecedented feat. Despite some initial challenges, it succeeded in obtaining sufficiently rich samples for future scientific research, ensuring a legacy of international collaboration and research into the origins of the solar system.

View of eight sample disks containing final materials from asteroid Bennu. Dust and rock are poured into the sample pan from the top plate of the Touch and Grab Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) head. This dump collected 51.2 grams, bringing the final mass of the asteroid sample to 121.6 grams. Image credit: NASA/Erika Blumenfeld and Joseph Aebersold

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collected 4.29 ounces (121.6 grams) of material from the asteroid Bennu when it returned to Earth on September 24, 2023; it is the largest asteroid sample ever collected in space and more than twice the mission requirement.

The mission team needed at least 60 grams of material to achieve the mission's science goals, an amount that was exceeded before the Touch-and-Grab Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) head was fully open. In October 2023, sample collection and processing personnel from the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Sciences Division (ARES) at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston were able to collect small rocks and dust from the large canister where the TAGSAM head is placed, as well as from the plastic bag baffle of the TAGSAM head itself.

OSIRIS-REx astromaterial handlers (left to right) Rachel Funk, Julia Plummer, and Jannatul Ferdous prepare to lift the top plate of the Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) head to pour the final portion of asteroid rock and dust into the sample tray below. Source: NASA/Robert Markowitz

In late October 2023, disassembly of the TAGSAM head was paused because the team encountered two stubborn fasteners that prevented them from completing the disassembly to reveal the final sample of the interior.

After designing, producing and testing the new tooling, ARES collection engineers successfully removed the fasteners and completed disassembly of the TAGSAM head in January. The remaining Bennu samples were uncovered and carefully poured into wedge-shaped containers. 1.81 ounces (51.2 grams) were collected from it. Combined with the previously measured 2.48 ounces (70.3 grams) and other particles collected outside the pour container, the total mass of the Bennu sample was 4.29 ounces (121.6 grams).

Leaving a legacy for future research

NASA will preserve at least 70% of the samples at Johnson for further study by scientists around the world, including for future generations.

Bennu's materials will be packed into containers from NASA Johnson's repository and distributed to researchers for study. As part of the OSIRIS-REx mission, more than 200 scientists from around the world will work together to explore the properties of gravel, including researchers from many U.S. agencies, NASA partners JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency), among others.

Later this spring, the curatorial team will release the OSIRIS-REx sample catalog, which will make asteroid samples available for request by the global scientific community.

Compiled source: ScitechDaily