(Image: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona)
The probe OSIRIS-REx has successfully carried out the first procedure of soil sampling from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. Now engineers will determine exactly how much material the ship collected from the asteroid.
Before OSIRIS-REx, only three spacecraft tried to delivery matter from small bodies of the solar system to Earth:
- Hayabusa-1, which delivered the soil from the asteroid Itokawa
- Hayabusa-2, which is now flying to Earth with the matter of the asteroid Ryugu
- The Stardust probe, Which mined for researchers the particles of the coma of comet 81P/Wild, enclosed in an airgel.
The OSIRIS-REx ship is supposed to deliver to Earth the material of the small near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu by September 2023, which will allow us to learn more about the early solar system and the evolution of small bodies.
Yesterday, according to telemetric data of NASA, OSIRIS-REx was able to successfully complete the first sampling attempt from Bennu.
(Credits: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona).
Initially, the spacecraft left the working orbit around Bennu, then deployed the sampling mechanism and folded the solar panels in the shape of the letter Y, and then began to descend to the surface.
At the moment of contact with the surface of the asteroid in the "Nightingale" area, the probe blasted the surface with a stream of nitrogen, collecting small particles of soil, after which it flew away from Bennu at a safe distance.
Now the specialists will have to wait for the transfer of the images taken during the descent, as well as carry out a rotation maneuver of the station to estimate the mass of the collected material of the asteroid.
If it turns out to be less than 60 grams, then the station will face another sampling attempt in January 2021. If there is enough soil, then it will be placed in a returnable capsule.
Sources:
Trying to post without the keys is a pain in the neck*
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit