NEW YORK, BRONX (ORDO News) — A month ago, a charred capsule containing fragments of the asteroid Bennu finally landed on Earth. This event marked the completion of NASA‘s unique OSIRIS-REx mission, which began in 2016.
Despite its success, the story of this space odyssey goes beyond just the landing of the capsules. Opening the container with the samples, NASA specialists encountered difficulties trying to gain access to cosmic treasures.
The OSIRIS-REx mission was an ambitious attempt to collect samples from the asteroid Bennu, which was believed to be a space wanderer that had long roamed the solar system.
The mission was not only completed, but also exceeded the expectations of the researchers. The mission’s original goal was to collect 60 grams of material, but the OSIRIS-REx team claimed to have collected 70.3 grams.
However, the most interesting thing began from the moment the container was opened. The NASA team encountered difficulty attempting to remove two of the 35 fasteners on the head of the TAGSAM sample assembly mechanism. Despite the difficulty, scientists continue to work to gain access to the asteroid’s treasures.
According to preliminary data, samples that were extracted from the capsules before its official opening have already aroused great interest in the scientific community. The discovery of water in the asteroid material suggests that asteroids like Bennu may have an impact on life on Earth.
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News agencies contributed to this report, edited and published by ORDO News editors.
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