All articles tagged with #bennu asteroid
NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission may have collected samples from an ancient ocean world in the form of the Bennu asteroid, which contains high levels of phosphates suggesting the presence of an ocean. The samples, unspoiled by Earth's atmosphere, could provide insights into the formation of the solar system and the origins of life. This discovery has the potential to advance astrobiology and our understanding of planetary evolution.
NASA has released the first high-resolution images of the contents of the Bennu asteroid sampler, revealing black dust and rocks up to 1 cm in size that have remained untouched for around 4.5 billion years. After successfully opening the sampler's lid, the team will now determine the mass of the 70-gram asteroid dust sample and prepare to transfer the remaining sample for storage and future analysis at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The success of this mission reaffirms the significance of space exploration and the commitment to advancing our understanding of the cosmos.
NASA successfully retrieved a sample from the Bennu asteroid, capturing a picture of the charcoal-like space gravel after overcoming challenges with the canister's screws. This marks the first asteroid sample brought back to Earth, with a detailed full-resolution image available for download on NASA's website.
NASA has successfully unlocked the capsule containing the Bennu asteroid sample, collected by the Osiris-Rex spacecraft and dropped in the Utah desert in September 2023. The sample, including dust and rocks up to about 0.4 inch, will be carefully removed and preserved for future research at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Unexpectedly, nearly 3 ounces of Bennu debris stuck on the outside of the capsule were also collected. Scientists hope the asteroid sample will provide valuable insights into the origins of our solar system.
NASA successfully opened its asteroid Bennu sample container, revealing a collection of dust and rocks scraped off Bennu by spacecraft OSIRIS-REx. The Touch-and-Go-Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) resides in a special compartment to prevent contamination, and the team had to develop new tools to open the container. In other news, Apple's Vision Pro mixed-reality headset is available for pre-order, NVIDIA's RTX 4070 Super offers raw power for gaming, and Russian state-sponsored hackers accessed the emails of Microsoft's senior leadership.
NASA has successfully removed the lid from the capsule containing the Bennu asteroid sample, after two screws caused a delay. The 250g sample will now be analyzed for insights into the solar system's history. The $1.16 billion OSIRIS-REx mission, which collected the sample in October 2020 and returned to Earth in September 2021, marks a significant achievement for NASA's space exploration efforts. The asteroid, classified as a carbonaceous chondrite, is expected to provide valuable information about the composition and origins of asteroids in the solar system.
NASA has successfully removed the last two fasteners from the sampler head of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, allowing access to the full sample of asteroid Bennu. The team overcame the challenge by developing new tools made of surgical stainless steel, ensuring the pristine conditions needed to avoid sample contamination. This historic asteroid sample, the first in US history, holds valuable insights into the early Solar System and has already surpassed the mission's goal with the initial 70.3 grams of material collected.
Scientists analyzing the samples of the Bennu asteroid brought back to Earth by NASA have been surprised by the high levels of magnesium, sodium, and phosphate found in the samples' skin, a composition rarely seen in meteorites. Further analysis is needed, including accessing the heart of the material still inside the sample return canister. The samples collected so far, including a large rock that jammed the spacecraft's collection mechanism, are proving to be baffling and intriguing for scientists.
NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission has provided initial findings from the sample of the Bennu asteroid, revealing carbon-rich black rocks and evidence of water trapped in minerals. The sample, collected in September, is being analyzed using various instruments, with scientists hoping to uncover information about the origins of the solar system and the potential for life. The team has 12 major hypotheses to explore, including the search for organic compounds and insights into the solar system's history. NASA plans to share portions of the sample with other institutions while preserving the majority for future research.
NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe has returned rocks and soil samples from the asteroid Bennu, revealing evidence of carbon and water-bearing clay minerals that date back to the birth of the solar system. The discovery provides crucial insight into the formation of Earth and supports theories about the arrival of water on our planet. The samples also contain sulfides, which are important for planetary evolution and biology. The captured Bennu samples represent the largest carbon-rich asteroid sample ever returned to Earth and will help scientists determine the origin of elements that could have led to life.
NASA's preliminary assessment of the asteroid sample collected from the Bennu asteroid reveals high-carbon content and water, suggesting the presence of potential building blocks of life. The sample, the largest carbon-rich asteroid sample ever delivered to Earth, will be studied for decades to come to understand the origins of life on Earth, the formation of the solar system, and the potential risks of asteroid collisions. Further analysis and research will be conducted by a global team of scientists, and a significant portion of the sample will be preserved for future studies.
NASA will livestream the reveal of the sample collected from the Bennu asteroid during the OSIRIS-REx mission, marking the agency's first-ever sample retrieval from a distant asteroid. The sample was successfully dropped off in a capsule that landed in the Utah desert and has been transported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston for scientific study. The livestream event will take place on Wednesday, October 11, and viewers can watch it on NASA TV or via the embedded video player on the Digital Trends website.