This artists principle shows the OSIRIS-REx (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security– Regolith Explorer) spacecraft contacting the asteroid Bennu with the Touch-And-Go Sample Arm Mechanism or TAGSAM. The mission successfully returned a sample of Bennus surface area covering to Earth for study. Credit: NASA
Unveiling the Asteroid Material
When the sample collector touched the asteroid in October 2020, these surface area contact pads caught fine-grained asteroid rocks and dust straight from Bennus surface area layer. The materials in the contact pads will offer a distinct set of samples that will inform scientists about the conditions at the extremely surface area of Bennu.
When stowed– came from the sample collection occasion, the asteroid product on and interior to the capture ring– the safe base into which the TAGSAM was seated. During collection, TAGSAM shot nitrogen gas at Bennu to push asteroid particles from as deep as 19 inches (50 cm) below the surface into the TAGSAM head, which sealed with a flap. If gathered particles held that flap open, they would fall out into the area interior to the capture ring.
Scientific Implications of the Collected Material
These 2 sets of collected materials will therefore give scientists details about the surface product and material at greater depths listed below the surface area. Completely, these fine-grained samples from the asteroid will assist researchers and scientists make new discoveries about the geologic history of asteroid Bennu, its impact history, and ramifications for asteroid impact evaluation.
Pictures of the bulk sample and early analysis outcomes will be exposed during a live NASA event at 11 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, October 11.
The objective effectively returned a sample of Bennus surface area coating to Earth for research study. The asteroid product on and interior to the capture ring– the safe and secure base into which the TAGSAM was seated when stowed– came from the sample collection event. During collection, TAGSAM shot nitrogen gas at Bennu to press asteroid particles from as deep as 19 inches (50 cm) listed below the surface area into the TAGSAM head, which sealed with a flap.
OSIRIS-REx curation employee at NASAs Johnson Space Center begin the procedure of turning the tagsam and getting rid of (Touch-and-Go Sample Mechanism) from the avionics deck of the science cylinder. Credit: NASA/James Blair
As the astromaterials curation team at NASAs Johnson Space Center continues to gather the benefit asteroid Bennu particles located outside the OSIRIS-REx TAGSAM (Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism) head, theyve also completed extra actions towards disassembly and reveal of the bulk asteroid sample inside the head.
Experience Plates and TAGSAM Head Inspection
Curation researchers removed 14 circular witness plates from the top of the TAGSAM head on Monday and Tuesday. These plates were used to keep track of interior environmental conditions of the spacecraft at numerous points throughout the objective and were carefully consisted of and kept away for contamination knowledge.
After eliminating all 14 plates and collecting any staying loose dust, the team got rid of the TAGSAM head from its avionics deck platform and had the very first opportunity to see the 24 surface contact pads on the bottom of the asteroid and the head sample underneath the collector head.