“Black dust and debris”: NASA opens the lid of an asteroid sample capsule

The OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return capsule descended to Earth on Sunday and began procedures to safely collect the sample from its belly. The capsule was transported to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where its lid was opened inside a special glove box to ensure no contamination. Inside, NASA found what it called “black dust and debris,” and they have not yet opened the main container.

The capsule brought back approximately 250 grams of original material from the asteroid Bennu, the largest collection of cosmic material from outside the Moon. Yesterday, the team removed the lid of the science case to reveal dark powder and sand-sized particles inside, likely also from the asteroid. This bodes very well for the yet-to-be-opened Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM).

TAGSAM is the tool used to collect material from Bennu’s surface and requires very complex disassembly. The subject will be kept as isolated as possible and the entire procedure has been rehearsed several times over the past few months.

“These operations take place in a new laboratory designed specifically for the OSIRIS-REx mission. The aluminum cover inside the designed glove box has been removed to enable work with a large piece of hardware,” Shanika Vereen of NASA’s Johnson Space Center wrote in an article. Blog post.

The TAGSAM will then be separated from the rest of the case and moved into its glove box to be opened. This procedure will move the TAGSAM to a closed transport container. Nitrogen will be continuously pumped through the container as it is an inert gas that does not react and is therefore used to keep oxygen and moisture away.

“There is a very high level of focus on the team’s part – the sample will be detected with an amazing amount of precision to accommodate the removal of the delicate devices so they don’t come into contact with the sample inside,” Vereen said.

The big reveal will actually happen live. NASA will broadcast a special broadcast on October 11 at 11 a.m. ET (3 p.m. UTC) showing the complete TAGSAM disassembly and sample detection process. You can watch it on NASA TV And through the agency’s electronic channels and social media.