NASA Identifies Cause of Parachute Issue During OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return

NASA has determined that crossed wires caused the drogue parachute on the OSIRIS-REx asteroid probe's return capsule to fail during its descent to Earth on September 24. Inconsistent wiring label definitions in the design plans led to the deployment triggers firing out of order. The drogue chute was supposed to deploy at 100,000 feet, but due to the wiring problem, it remained in the capsule until the main chute opened at 9,000 feet. Despite the issue, the main chute successfully stabilized the capsule, resulting in a safe landing. NASA engineers will investigate the parachute hardware once the processing of the asteroid sample is complete.