Scientists have opened the capsule containing dust samples from “the most dangerous asteroid known in the solar system”, collected by the OSIRIS-REx team.
Capsule Landed in the Utah desert USA on Sunday and the content collected by Benno raises hopes for big discoveries. the Osiris Rex It was launched toward the 500-meter-wide asteroid in September 2016, arrived in December 2018 and took a sample of the space rock in October 2020.
His scholars Johnson Space Center NASA in Houston opened the capsule on Tuesday. “It was the scientists stunned While opening the lid,” NASA service noted.
“They were found inside the lid and base Dark dust and sand-sized particles“Completed.
“Scientific Treasure Chest.”
The scientists gasped when the lid was lifted #osirisrex The asteroid sample tray shows dark powder and sand-sized particles inside the lid and base.
Read more from @NASA_Johnson Processing plant: https://t.co/JBw6TCI7kB pic.twitter.com/t43QEDLH7G
— NASA Astromaterials (@Astromaterials) September 26, 2023
It will take decades to study asteroid samples
It will take decades of sample studies and may provide answers Formation of the solar system4.6 billion years ago, and perhaps even about how life began on our planet.
But this is expected to take some time. The research team has not yet been able to access the main sample of the asteroid. It is required Disassembly From the capsule, it is a complex process that will require a long time.
Welcome to Houston, OSIRIS-REx!
Today the asteroid sample arrived in Texas where it will be curated and preserved by our team here in Johnson. The information collected could help scientists around the world investigate the formation of planets, the origins of life, and how… pic.twitter.com/8m0Yp3wqap
– NASA Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) September 25, 2023
It will be needed Enough attention To extract the sample from the inside so that there is no damage.
Her morning October 11the NASA A press conference will be held to provide the latest developments.
today #osirisrex Landing an asteroid sample isn’t just the end of a 7-year, 3.9 billion-mile journey through space. It takes us back 4.5 billion years.
These rocks will help us understand the origin of the organic materials and water that may have seeded life on Earth. pic.twitter.com/sHLRrnWqAg
– NASA (@NASA) September 24, 2023
With information from space
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