Remember when you had to run the pickle jar under the faucet before you could take off the lid? Well, this can even happen to scientists. In fact, it has happened with NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) sample canister.
NASA has reported that it is still trying to get the lid off of the canister, though it has been able to collect material from outside the container. On Friday, NASA stated:
In the last week, the team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston changed its approach to opening the TAGSAM head, which contained the bulk of the rocks and dust collected by the spacecraft in 2020. After multiple attempts at removal, the team discovered two of the 35 fasteners on the TAGSAM head could not be removed with the current tools approved for use in the OSIRIS-REx glovebox. The team has been working to develop and implement new approaches to extract the material inside the head, while continuing to keep the sample safe and pristine.
NASA stated it may take a few more weeks to resolve since the scientists need to be careful with the tools they use in the confined space.
The good news is that, even without the additional material, the team has already recovered about 70 grams of material from asteroid Bennu sample, which surpasses the agency’s goal of bringing at least 60 grams to Earth.
It is a pretty odd ending after the sample has gone through a multi-year journey before landing in the Utah desert. At least the sample canister is in a safe place while the scientists play with it.
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