Slide 1
Bennu material reached Earth on 24 September 2023
An American sample-return mission delivered material from asteroid Bennu to Earth on 24 September 2023. Scientists can study it with laboratory instruments.
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A returned sample can be examined by techniques too large or delicate to send on a spacecraft. Preserved portions can also be tested with methods developed long after the mission.
Slide 2
Nitrogen gas collected loose material during the 2020 touch-and-go
The spacecraft approached Bennu for a touch-and-go collection in October 2020. A burst of nitrogen gas disturbed material and directed it into a collector.
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The mechanism did not require a long stay on the asteroid or a conventional shovel. Its design matched a small body where weak gravity and a rough surface complicate extended contact.
Slide 3
A protected capsule returned the sample to Utah
A capsule separated from the spacecraft and entered Earth’s atmosphere. Its protective system delivered the container to a recovery site in Utah.
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The main spacecraft did not have to land with its sample. Separating the capsule let the mission combine a protected Earth return with continued flight by the larger vehicle.
Slide 4
The 121.6-gram return exceeded the 60-gram minimum
The final collected mass was 121.6 grams, more than twice the mission’s 60-gram minimum. The measured total replaced earlier estimates made before full curation.
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Twice 60 grams is 120 grams, so the returned amount cleared that threshold by 1.6 grams. Distinguishing final measurements from preliminary estimates avoids repeating outdated sample totals.
Slide 5
Controlled handling keeps Earth contamination traceable
The returned material is handled under controlled conditions, including nitrogen environments. Curation records help identify possible terrestrial contamination.
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A molecule found in a sample is more informative when its origin can be assessed. Contamination knowledge is therefore part of the scientific evidence, not merely a matter of keeping the grains visually clean.
Sources
- Bennu: Exploration
NASA
- NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Begins Its Countdown to TAG
NASA
- OSIRIS-REx Curation: The First Year with Bennu Samples on Earth
NASA Technical Reports Server