TAGSAM is not yet open. They're just using the stuff that spilled out.Nelson just said that they exceeded their 60 gram collection goal. My guess is that they did that simply with the stuff that spilled out of the sampling mechanism. Assuming that TAGSAM is not empty, then they should have a lot of material.
Listen live: There were so many questions about the #OSIRISREx pristine asteroid sample revealed this morning to have high amounts of carbon and water that our scientists are back to share more of what we're learning.
Quote from: Blackstar on 10/11/2023 03:18 pmTAGSAM is not yet open. They're just using the stuff that spilled out.Nelson just said that they exceeded their 60 gram collection goal. My guess is that they did that simply with the stuff that spilled out of the sampling mechanism. Assuming that TAGSAM is not empty, then they should have a lot of material.250 g quoted from the inertia measurement.
Have a slightly different question about the returned samples from Bennu. Could the volume of the TAGSAM samples be less than the volume of the add-on samples inside the return capsule?
Quote from: Zed_Noir on 10/16/2023 09:16 amHave a slightly different question about the returned samples from Bennu. Could the volume of the TAGSAM samples be less than the volume of the add-on samples inside the return capsule?I think you mean mass, not volume.
Just saw this posted:"Wait and see: Looks like the folks digging into the asteroid Bennu samples brought back by the OSIRIS-REx mission have run into a bit of trouble. The bulk material contained in the Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism -- or TAGSAM -- has proven tough to remove. Two of the 35 fasteners on the TAGSAM head could not be removed with allocated tools. The team needs now to develop and practice a new procedure to remove the remaining asteroid sample from the TAGSAM sampler head. Bennu material that has been extracted – now 70.3 grams -- already surpasses the goal of hauling back to Earth at least 60 grams."
If they need a hand, I have some experience at disassembling used spacecraft. All the required tools should still be in Mary's garage.
The #OSIRISREx team has surpassed NASA’s goal of bringing back 60 grams of material from asteroid Bennu! While the @Astromaterials team is still carefully collecting rocks and dust from the sampler hardware, they have already removed 70.3 grams.
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Achieves Sample Mass MilestoneThe curation team processing NASA’s asteroid Bennu sample has removed and collected 2.48 ounces (70.3 grams) of rocks and dust from the sampler hardware – surpassing the agency’s goal of bringing at least 60 grams to Earth.And the good news is, there’s still more of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer) sample to collect.The sample processed so far includes the rocks and dust found on the outside of the sampler head, as well as a portion of the bulk sample from inside the head, which was accessed through the head’s mylar flap. Additional material remaining inside the sampler head, called the Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism, or TAGSAM, is set for removal later, adding to the mass total.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.As a first step, the team successfully accessed some of the material by holding down the head’s mylar flap and removing the sample inside with tweezers or a scoop, depending on material size. The collection and containment of material through this method, combined with the earlier collection of material located outside the head, yielded a total mass exceeding the 60 grams required.The team will spend the next few weeks developing and practicing a new procedure to remove the remaining asteroid sample from the TAGSAM sampler head while simultaneously processing the material that was collected this week. The OSIRIS-REx science team will also proceed with its plan to characterize the extracted material and begin analysis of the bulk sample obtained so far.All curation work on the sample – and the TAGSAM head – is performed in a specialized glovebox under a flow of nitrogen to keep it from being exposed to Earth’s atmosphere, preserving the sample’s pristine state for subsequent scientific analysis. The tools for any proposed solution to extract the remaining material from the head must be able to fit inside the glovebox and not compromise the scientific integrity of the collection, and any procedures must be consistent with the clean room’s standards.While the procedure to access the final portion of the material is being developed, the team has removed the TAGSAM head from the active flow of nitrogen in the glovebox and stored it in its transfer container, sealed with an O-ring and surrounded by a sealed Teflon bag to make sure the sample is kept safe in a stable, nitrogen-rich, environment.Author Erin MortonPosted on October 20, 2023Categories OSIRIS-RExTags asteroid, Bennu, Johnson Space Center, OSIRIS-REx, Sample Curation, Sample Return
Nov 14, 2023A journey of a billion miles and back begins with a launch. OSIRIS-REx's goal: Travel to asteroid Bennu, collect a sample, and return it home. But why Bennu? Meet the NASA Explorers looking for clues to our early solar system in a sample of asteroid rock.It’s not rockets and satellites that make NASA soar. It’s people. Go inside the space agency and follow the pioneers, risk-takers and experts at the frontline of exploration. This season, follow along with the OSIRIS-REx team, as they launch a spacecraft to an asteroid, collect a sample of Bennu, and bring it home to Earth.
