OSIRIS-REx team unlocks 2 stuck fasteners from the sampler head

Washington: Mission officials at NASA’s OSIRIS-REx have successfully unlocked the last two of the 35 fasteners from the sampler head that had prevented the remainder of asteroid Bennu sample material from being accessed.

About 8.8 ounces of rocky material collected from the surface of the asteroid Bennu in 2020 was brought to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx (short for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer) in late September.

However, two stuck fasteners prevented further access to the rocky space treasure. The sample processed so far includes the rocks and dust found on the outside of the sampler head, as well as a portion of the bulk sample from inside the head, which was accessed through the head’s mylar flap.

“Our engineers and scientists have worked tirelessly behind the scenes for months to not only process the more than 70 grams of material we were able to access previously, but also design, develop, and test new tools that allowed us to move past this hurdle,” said Eileen Stansbery, division chief for ARES (Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science) at Johnson.

“The innovation and dedication of this team has been remarkable. We are all excited to see the remaining treasure OSIRIS-REx holds,”Stansbery added.

The team said steps now are underway to complete the disassembly of the Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism, or TAGSAM head, to reveal the rest of the rocks and dust delivered by NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission.

The remainder of the bulk sample will be fully visible after a few additional disassembly steps, at which point image specialists will take ultra-high-resolution pictures of the sample while it is still inside the TAGSAM head.

This portion of the sample will then be removed and weighed, and the team will be able to determine the total mass of Bennu material captured by the mission.