Recently, as a result of a successful operation by NASA, fragments from the Bennu Asteroid reached our planet. Thanks to these asteroid pieces, researchers would capture clues about how planets were formed. However, opening the asteroid box was not easy at all. Finally, after long research, scientists managed to open this valuable box from Bennu Asteroid. Here are the details…
NASA will now be able to examine pieces from Bennu Asteroid!
To capture these samples, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft reached Asteroid Bennu in October 2020. It collected samples from the asteroid thanks to TAGSAM (Touch and Go Sample Collection Mechanism). So how did he do this? The vehicle then moved towards Bennu for just five seconds. He blew nitrogen gas onto the asteroid. This pushed rocks and dust into the box.
Then the spacecraft set off towards our planet. When he was close enough, he dropped the box containing the asteroid pieces onto Earth. NASA received this package from Bennu Asteroid in a successful operation. However, opening the lid of the box was not easy at all. Scientists first began to examine the parts on top of the box until it was opened.
NASA spent months freeing the two fasteners on the lid of the box. This job was not an easy task at all. After devoted work, scientists were finally able to open the box. Inside the metal box are dark rocks up to about 1 centimeter wide and smaller particles of different sizes.
These examples are invaluable. Asteroid Bennu is a capsule of many asteroids preserved from the ancient times of the solar system. It is approximately 4.5 billion years old. In addition, thanks to these untouched pieces from the Bennu Asteroid, scientists will be able to figure out how planets were formed. However, this research may provide insight into how the Earth obtains its water.
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