NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe is set to transport over 60 grams of rock material that it took from asteroid Bennu.
NASA OSIRIS-REx To Deliver Asteroid Bennu Sample
This is set to be delivered on Sunday morning. Scientists are looking forward to studying the material because asteroid Bennu is thought to be an early solar system remnant. Because of this, its material could potentially reveal insights regarding the formation of the planets in the solar system.
Project scientist Jason Dworkin explains that the sample is considered an "Unrestricted Earth Return" at Category 5. This means there are no restrictions in the sample, such as those related to biology.
Since the OSIRIS-REx probe collected the Bennu sample in 2020, the material has remained protected so that it won't burn up due to heat as it re-enters the atmosphere of the Earth. As it does so, it will travel at a speed of 27,000 mph before slowing and touching down.
The sample is kept in a canister with a filter that welcomes air and keeps moisture, dust, and organic material away. This helps with the preservation of the sample until it is analyzed.
When the sample reaches the Utah Test and Training Range on Sunday, it will be transported to a close, clean room to undergo an ultra-pure purge of nitrogen. This is to stop external matter from entering the canister.
Next week, the sample will be brought to a clean room in the Johnson Space Center. It will then be kept inside a glove box and go through a nitrogen purge again. It will also be studied further by a team of scientists. Initial findings may be released in the coming weeks.
For one year, small sample amounts will also be transported to around 200 scientists from different global institutions for further analysis using different instrumentations. About 70% of the sample will also be kept inside sealed containers so that scientists in the future may still have access to the samples and use their instruments to unravel mysteries that remain unknown today.
No Life Forms Included
The sample could even include building blocks that allowed life on Earth to thrive. However, nothing suggests or confirms that biology is present in Bennu.
Bennu is a dark and small object with an extremely hot surface. No flowing water evidence has been found on the asteroid, given its conditions. This makes the asteroid not conducive to maintaining life.
Nevertheless, the rock is still an exciting study focus for non-biological reasons. Dworkin also adds that even if life was present on the asteroid, it should already be on Earth, noting that there is no need to be concerned or alarmed.
Associate professor Michelle Thompson from the College of Science at Purdue University, one of the six investigators to see the samples first, explains that though life itself will not be found, they may look at building blocks that could have later become life.
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