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NASAThe asteroid debris was finally visible when the lid was removed
NOS Nieuws•gisteren, 10:22
After almost four months, NASA has managed to open the lid of a capsule containing debris from an asteroid. Two bolts were so tight that special tools had to be developed to open the container.
The return capsule of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft landed in the Utah desert on September 24 with its precious cargo: debris from the asteroid Bennu. The composition of this sand is important for a better understanding of asteroids and the formation of the solar system, NASA says.
Landing! Space capsule landed after a billion-kilometer journey
In order to be able to examine it properly, the sand must under no circumstances come into contact with the earth’s atmosphere. After landing, the capsule was transferred to Houston, Texas, and opened there Glove compartmenta transparent, sealed container, in a nitrogen atmosphere.
Some grit, around 70 grams, was on top of the container and could already be examined. In order to access the mass of the material, a ring-shaped cover plate had to be removed. And that’s where the problems started.
No forbidden tools
Of the 35 screws holding the panel in place, two could not be removed despite weeks of attempts using available tools. The NASA team was only allowed to work with pre-approved tools. Unvalidated tools were strictly prohibited due to the risk of contaminating the asteroid sample with terrestrial substances.
So there was no choice but to develop new tools. Engineers addressed the problem and developed two new instruments consisting of several parts. That still worked.
This photo shows how the new tool is used to loosen the last screws:
NASAA NASA employee uses specially designed tools to open the capsule
The entire cover plate has now been removed and you can see for the first time how much grit was captured by the probe. The cosmic material is now filled into smaller containers, photographed and stored. Scientists from around the world can view a catalog and request a sample to be examined.
“Our engineers and scientists have been working tirelessly behind the scenes for months,” NASA Manager Eileen Stansbery said in a statement.
“Not only in processing the 70 grams of material that we have managed to secure so far, but also in designing, developing and testing the new tools that made it possible to overcome this obstacle. We all can’t wait to see what the rest contains.” The Treasure of OSIRIS-REx.
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