NASA has found debris on the OSIRIS-REx canister, which will be carefully dismantled at Johnson Space Center. The whole world is waiting for the live broadcast on October 11 to unveil the mystery of the sample. Scientists discovered black dust and debris on the OSIRIS-REx avionics deck when they lifted the initial lid off the OSIRIS-REx science canister today. The canister of the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule was sent to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston on September 25 after landing in the Utah desert on September 24.
Collection experts at the Johnson Space Center, which houses the world's largest collection of celestial materials, will perform complex disassembly of the Touch-and-Grab Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) to obtain a large number of samples. These operations are conducted in a new laboratory designed specifically for the OSIRIS-REx mission. The aluminum cover was removed inside a glovebox designed to allow access to this large piece of hardware.
Once the TAGSAM is separated from the jar, it will be placed into a sealed transfer container to be stored in a nitrogen atmosphere for up to approximately two hours. This container allowed enough time for the team to place TAGSAM into another unique glove box. Ultimately, this will speed up the disassembly process. The team's focus is intense - the samples will be uncovered with astonishing precision to accommodate delicate hardware disassembly, thus avoiding contact with the samples inside.
Johnson scientists and engineers, working with a range of team members, will complete the disassembly process and reveal the samples to the world during a special livestream event on October 11.