NASA reported that thanks to the new tools, the lid of the container with samples of the asteroid Bennu was opened after 3.5 months of attempts and expectations. According to scientists, the study of these samples can give a better understanding of the early history of the solar system, because the Bennu astroid has existed for billions of years, ScienceAlert writes.
Back on September 24 last year, scientists received a long-awaited cargo from space when the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft delivered a capsule with samples of the asteroid Bennu to Earth after completing a 7-year mission. Inside the capsule was a container with stones and dust, the lid of which was also covered with a small amount of asteroid material. It was 70 grams of dust, which scientists carefully studied and found a large number of water and carbon molecules. Thus, it confirms the theory that asteroids that fell to Earth billions of years ago helped to make our planet inhabitable.
But most of the samples of the asteroid Bennu were inside the container and for 3.5 months scientists tried to open it. And they finally succeeded with the help of new tools developed for this purpose. The lid of the container was closed with 35 clamps, two of which could not be opened with the available tools in the sterile box to avoid contamination of the samples. Scientists from NASA had to create 2 new instruments that were thoroughly tested and showed spectacular results.
As of January 11, according to NASA, samples from the open container had not yet been retrieved, and the exact weight of the material is not known, although it was previously reported that there should be approximately 250 grams of rocks and dust. NASA reported that several more steps are needed to open the container, after which the samples will be removed and their study will begin.
To date, the number of samples obtained from the asteroid Bennu is the largest number of samples successfully collected and delivered to Earth of all such missions.
