The OSIRIS - REx asteroid sampling return capsulelanded back on Earthon Sunday and the function to safely collect the sample distribution from its belly has lead off . The capsule was take to NASA ’s Johnson Space Center where its chapeau was opened inside a special glovebox to guarantee no contamination . Inside NASA has found what it called " dim dust and debris " , and they have n’t even launch the primary container yet .
The capsule has add roughly250 grams of pristine materialfrom asteroid Bennu , the largest solicitation of cosmic material from beyond the Moon . Yesterday the squad transfer the hat of the science case shot revealing the dark powder and sand - sized particles indoors , most likely from the asteroid as well . This bode extremely well for the yet - to - be - unfold Touch and Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism ( TAGSAM ) .
The TAGSAM is the instrument used to collect the material from Bennu ’s surface and it requires a very intricate disassembly . The material will be kept as isolated as possible and the whole procedure has been rehearsed many metre over the last few calendar month .
“ These operations are happening in a Modern science lab project specifically for the OSIRIS - REx mission . The aluminium lid was removed inside a glovebox design to enable working with the enceinte firearm of hardware , ” Shaneequa Vereen , from NASA ’s Johnson Space Center , wrote in ablog post .
Next , the TAGSAM will be separated from the rest of the canister and it will be transferred to its own exceptional glovebox to be open . The operation will have the TAGSAM act to a seal transfer of training container . Nitrogen will be incessantly pumped through the container as it is an inert gas that does n’t respond and so is used to keep oxygen and moisture away .
“ There is a very high spirit level of focal point from the squad — the sample will be reveal with an amazing amount of preciseness to accommodate delicate computer hardware remotion so as not to add up into contact with the sample inside , ” Vereen tell .
The magnanimous reveal will actually happen live . NASA will rain cats and dogs a special broadcast on October 11 at 11 am ET ( 3 postmortem UTC ) showing the everlasting disassembly unconscious process of the TAGSAM and the reveal of the sample . you’re able to view it onNASA TVand across the federal agency ’s on-line epithelial duct and social media .
