Nasa struggles to open container with asteroid sample; Seeks new approach

So far, Nasa has successfully removed and collected 70.3 grams of rocks and dust from the sampler hardware on asteroid Bennu

The United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) is facing some challenges opening the canister, which contains some asteroid samples collected during its OSIRIS-REx mission, according to a blog post by the space agency on Friday. This has prompted the team to develop new approaches to access the samples while maintaining their safety and integrity.

Nasa achieved a major milestone by successfully removing and collecting 70.3 grams of rocks and dust from the sampler hardware on asteroid Bennu, surpassing its initial goal of bringing at least 60 grams of asteroid material back to Earth. This amount will increase once the agency is able to access the remaining sample sealed in the container.

The collected sample includes rocks and dust from the outside of the sampler head, as well as a portion of the bulk sample from inside the head, accessed through the head's mylar flap. The issue appears to be with the sampler head (known as the Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism or TAGSAM), but the team plans to remove this remaining material later.

The team faced challenges when trying to open the TAGSAM head. Two of the 35 fasteners could not be removed with the existing tools. To access some material, the team held down the head's mylar flap and removed the sample inside with tweezers or a scoop.

The team will work on developing new procedures to extract the remaining asteroid sample from the TAGSAM sampler head. Simultaneously, they will process the material collected this week. All work is performed in a specialised glovebox under a flow of nitrogen to preserve the sample's state for scientific analysis. The tools and procedures used also must meet clean room standards and not compromise the integrity of the sample.

While the final portion of the material is being accessed, the TAGSAM head has been sealed and stored in a stable, nitrogen-rich environment to ensure the sample's safety and integrity.

According to a report by NDTV, Nasa selected Bennu as the mission's target because it is believed to be rich in organic compounds. Similar asteroids may have delivered organic building blocks and water to Earth through collisions billions of years ago. Although Bennu posed no threat to Earth until the mid-2100s, Nasa continues to study its trajectory for future safety assessments.