NEW YORK, BRONX (ORDO News) — NASA‘s OSIRIS-REx space capsule, which recently returned from a mission to collect a sample from an asteroid 200 million miles away, is already providing scientists with unexpected discoveries. When NASA’s staff opened the space capsule earlier this week, they found that the inside of the lid was coated with a mysterious black material, temporarily halting their work.
This material differs from the rocks and dust collected from the asteroid’s surface, appearing finer, resembling grime on a dirty car.
While NASA plans to conduct a thorough analysis of the black material, Dr. Brad Tucker, an astrophysicist at the Australian National University, believes it is likely also material from the asteroid. He described the asteroid dirt as very dark and fine, noting that during the initial touch-and-go maneuver to capture samples, so much material was collected that the lid could not close properly.
NASA had previously acknowledged that asteroid material had leaked from OSIRIS-REx due to a stone jammed in the mechanism, which likely contributed to the presence of this dust.
Professor Trevor Ireland, a geochemist at the University of Queensland, concurred, explaining that in a microgravity environment, dust particles can easily disperse, potentially settling back onto the spacecraft.
Despite the presence of this black dust, the main cache of the asteroid sample remains sealed within a smaller component within the capsule. This precious cargo weighs an estimated 8.8 ounces or 250 grams of rocky material, equivalent to about half the contents of an average-sized cereal box.
NASA believes that this sample will provide invaluable insights into asteroid composition, aiding our understanding of the types of asteroids that could pose a threat to Earth.
The pebbles and dust collected from asteroid Bennu represent the largest haul from beyond the moon. Bennu is classified as a carbonaceous chondrite (C-type) asteroid, making up approximately 75% of all known asteroids in the solar system.
C-type asteroids are darker due to the presence of carbon and are among the oldest objects in the solar system, dating back over 4.5 billion years. These volatile-rich C-types, like Bennu, have remained relatively unchanged since their formation.
The OSIRIS-REx mission began in September 2016, launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and arriving at Bennu in December 2018. After nearly two years of mapping the asteroid, the spacecraft collected a sample from its surface on October 20, 2020.
The round-trip journey spanned 3.86 billion miles and concluded with the capsule’s safe return to Earth, landing on military land in Utah.
Scientists will meticulously examine the Bennu sample, disassembling the capsule, weighing the sample, creating an inventory of rocks and dust, and distributing pieces to researchers worldwide. A quarter of the sample will be shared with over 200 individuals from 38 institutions globally, enabling comprehensive analysis of the material.
This study aims to shed light on the formation of the solar system and the conditions that led to Earth’s habitability.
Some scientists believe that the Bennu sample could contain molecular precursors to the origin of life. Detailed measurements of the sample’s structure, texture, minerals, and geochemistry will provide insights into its formation processes, timing, and history.
This information could significantly contribute to our understanding of planetary evolution.
Bennu, which orbits the sun every 437 days and makes close approaches to Earth every six years, is classified as a potentially hazardous object. Studying a sample from Bennu will help scientists better understand its composition and improve preparedness for potential impacts.
NASA is set to announce its initial findings from the Bennu sample analysis at a news conference on October 11, which will be livestreamed on the agency’s website, promising exciting discoveries and new insights into our solar system’s history.
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News agencies contributed to this report, edited and published by ORDO News editors.
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