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NASA The asteroid sampling maneuver last week was very successful that the spacecraft will start storing its new souvenirs today (October 27) to avoid losing rock by staying at a minimum.
The agency OSIRIS-REx carrycot landed on an asteroid named Bennu on October 20 and blown nitrogen gas into space rock for blow pieces into the sampling head of the arm before returning to safety. When the OSIRIS-REx scientists were able to see the images of the sampling head on October 22, they realized that the maneuver had been so successful that rubble from an asteroid blocked the flap designed to close the material. in the arm.
Some of the spacecraft’s precious cargoes started leaking.
Related: OSIRIS-REx: NASA’s Asteroid Sample Return Mission in Pictures
Then, in a procedure that has become familiar to the OSIRIS-REx team, the mission scientists and engineers reassessed their plans. Originally, the spacecraft was supposed to do a careful pirouette over the weekend that would tell scientists exactly how much weight OSIRIS-REx had gained during its encounter. But without the flap completely closed, that rotation would cause the spacecraft to lose more space rock.
To avoid this, the mission staff decided to skip that step and instead go ahead and stow the sample, a day-long maneuver that begins today, instead of waiting until November 2 as previously planned. The process will fall back on the spacecraft sampling head securely in its sample return capsule to travel safely to Earth.
However, the OSIRIS-REx mission (short for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer) hasn’t finished studying Bennu. The mission is expected to remain in space rock until mid-next year before returning to Earth, where it will deliver its cargo in 2023.
Email Meghan Bartels at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @meghanbartels. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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