The objectives sample return capsule landed with the help of a parachute– like the training design revealed here in an August 30 test– on September 24 at the Department of Defenses Utah Test and Training Range in the desert outside Salt Lake City. It was created to stabilize the pill and slow during an approximately five-minute descent prior to primary parachute release at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. The primary parachute released as expected, and its design was robust sufficient to slow the pill and stabilize, resulting in a safe landing more than a minute earlier than expected. As soon as the curation team there finishes processing the sample material– the missions leading priority at present– NASA engineers will be able to access the parachute hardware and validate the cause.
The sample return pill from NASAs OSIRIS-REx objective is seen soon after touching down in the desert on September 24, 2023, at the Department of Defenses Utah Test and Training Range. The sample was collected from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020 by NASAs OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber
The drogue was anticipated to deploy at an elevation of about 100,000 feet. It was developed to stabilize the capsule and slow throughout an approximately five-minute descent prior to primary parachute implementation at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. Rather, at 100,000 feet, the signal activated the system to cut the drogue free while it was still packed in the capsule. When the pill reached 9,000 feet, the drogue deployed. With its retention cable already cut, the drogue was right away launched from the pill. The main parachute released as expected, and its style was robust enough to slow the pill and stabilize, resulting in a safe landing more than a minute earlier than anticipated. There was no negative impact to OSIRIS-RExs Bennu sample as an outcome of the unanticipated drogue deployment.
On the signal side, “main” indicated the primary parachute. In contrast, on the receiver side “primary” was utilized as a recommendation to a pyrotechnic that fires to launch the parachute container cover and release the drogue.
To confirm the source, NASA will test the system responsible for releasing the parachutes. This hardware is currently inside one of the glove boxes with the Bennu sample at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston. When the curation group there completes processing the sample product– the objectives top priority at present– NASA engineers will have the ability to access the parachute hardware and confirm the cause.
OSIRIS-REx gathered a half-pound sample from the surface area of asteroid Bennu in October 2020. The missions sample return capsule landed with the help of a parachute– like the training design shown here in an August 30 test– on September 24 at the Department of Defenses Utah Test and Training Range in the desert outside Salt Lake City. Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber
NASAs OSIRIS-REx successfully returned samples from Bennu, regardless of a small parachute release concern caused by circuitry label inconsistencies. The main parachute compensated, guaranteeing a safe landing, with additional examinations prepared to validate the cause.
NASAs OSIRIS-REx sample return pill landed under parachute in the Utah desert on September 24, 2023, and securely delivered a cannister of rocks and dust collected from near-Earth asteroid Bennu. The shipment was successful, the landing series did not go totally according to plan, with a little parachute called a drogue not deploying as anticipated.
After a comprehensive review of the descent video and the capsules extensive documents, NASA discovered that irregular electrical wiring label meanings in the design prepares likely caused engineers to wire the parachutes release activates such that signals implied to release the drogue chute fired out of order.
