NASA has announced that they have successfully opened the capsule containing a sample of the Bennu asteroid without any unforeseen problems. The main chamber of the capsule, which holds the astromaterial, is now visible. The Bennu asteroid sample arrived on Earth in October, but it has been protected in a laboratory for the past five months. It was found that dismantling the probe head was impossible because two connectors, designed to protect the material during the journey, were resistant even to human forces.
However, NASA technicians managed to overcome these obstacles using specially designed tools. From now on, the dismantling process is progressing rapidly, and the main chamber containing the sample is already visible. NASA expects no further unexpected challenges in the subsequent stages of the process.
The next task is to remove the metal collar of the sample canister and then equip the glovebox with sample trays and place the material on them. At that point, the first examination of the fragments of the Bennu asteroid delivered to Earth will be possible.
So far, 70.3 grams of asteroid material have been obtained from the surface of the capsule. In the coming weeks, it will be possible to determine how much dust and rocks are in the main sample chamber through weighing and photographic documentation.
NASA hopes to complete the cataloging of the Bennu asteroid samples by the spring of this year. The samples will be stored at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, and scientific institutions worldwide will have the opportunity to apply for presentation or examination of these valuable samples.