# NASA planning to get sample from an asteroid Tues (with spacecraft OSIRIS-REx) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** science-math\ **Created:** [October 19, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357 "2020-10-19T21:34:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/21 "2023-10-05T18:53:55Z")
Good news, everyone! > **[Scientists discover ‘best problem’ as they open up asteroid sample | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/04/world/osiris-rex-bennu-asteroid-sample-canister-scn/index.html)** > > Scientists have discovered an abundance of material after opening the OSIRIS-REx canister containing a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu, which could offer key insights into the origins of our solar system. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/22 "2023-10-11T16:35:40Z")
First photos of the payload are out. > **[This First Peek Inside NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Capsule Is a Glimpse Back in Time](https://www.wired.com/story/this-first-peek-inside-nasas-osiris-rex-capsule-is-a-glimpse-back-in-time/)** > > Scientists finally opened the rock sample from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx captured a treasure trove of material from the solar system’s earliest days. Bunch of bright [CAIs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium%E2%80%93aluminium-rich_inclusion) apparent dven from a distance. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/23 "2023-10-26T04:27:33Z")
> **[NASA Brings Back Actual Sample Of Asteroid But Can't Open The Lid](https://www.iflscience.com/nasa-brings-back-actual-sample-of-asteroid-but-cant-open-the-lid-71285)** > > NASA has hit a significant problem. Two fasteners are stuck. Minor snag opening TAGSAM (container of the sample). There’s a couple bolts that won’t budge with the tools they have available. OK, get a power wrench, right? Well, the tool has to be one they can get into the glovebox they’re keeping it in. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/24 "2023-10-26T11:17:20Z")
And probably can’t just drill the bolt because that will add bolt dust to the sample. Brian ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/25 "2023-10-26T15:42:56Z")
Right. And any tool they introduce has to be extremely clean. No bacteria or moisture. No lubricant, which rules out power tools. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/26 "2023-10-26T15:57:22Z")
Differential cooling might be worth a shot. Chill the bolt so that the metal contracts relative to the housing. The glovebox is already using a pure-nitrogen atmosphere, so a few drops of liquid nitrogen shouldn’t introduce anything untoward. (Warming the housing could also work, but there may be concerns that the heating could alter the material contained inside.) ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/27 "2023-10-27T17:14:39Z")
“…the asteroid Bennu, which could offer key insights into the origins of our solar system”. That’s what they always say. Can’t we have cool scientific projects without this bullshit justification? ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/28 "2023-10-27T19:05:54Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > That’s what they always say. Can’t we have cool scientific projects without this bullshit justification? It’s weird boilerplate the reporters use when they don’t actually understand the goals, I think. How about this instead? “Study of the samples recovered from Bennu could provide insight into the processes and potential yields involved in mining rubble-pile type asteroids, which may become a key resource in space-based habitation and industry.” Now, that’s not a direct quote from any publication, but some are at least talking about the mining angle: > **[The next gold rush is far away but space mining is closer](https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/space-mining-is-closer-than-you-think/)** > > As excited observers gear up for the return of asteroid chips attention turns again to space mining and the search for resources. (Many of them seem to have the impractical notion that the mined materials would be sent down to the Earth’s surface, but at least they’re aware that the sample could inform development planning.) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/29 "2023-10-27T20:26:28Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > That’s what they always say. Can’t we have cool scientific projects without this bullshit justification? What other reason do you think they would have for looking at an asteroid sample? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/30 "2023-10-27T20:37:34Z")
It’s always clues to the origin of the universe or solar system. By now that’s pretty yawn inducing. I have no idea what scientists have to do or say to get funding from tight fisted bureaucrats. I’ve always maintained that the guys who succeeded in getting the Hadron collider funded must’ve had persuasive abilities raised to the level of superpowers. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/31 "2023-10-27T20:45:13Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > It’s always clues to the origin of the universe or solar system. By now that’s pretty yawn inducing. It is also absolutely 100% accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2023, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/32 "2023-10-27T21:40:09Z")
Just upthread, I posted a pragmatic application that could be aided by information from this mission. Rubble-pile asteroids are likely to be the easiest kind to obtain material from, but we need to have a better idea of the composition and structure of such asteroids before we start designing retrieval drones or refining stations. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/33 "2023-11-07T09:28:10Z")
A small sample from Bennu is on display at the Smithsonian: > **[In US capital, selfies with asteroid hinting at Earth's origins](https://phys.org/news/2023-11-capital-selfies-asteroid-hinting-earth.html)** > > In a hushed room of a museum in Washington, cameras and cell phones focus on a tiny piece of rock, no larger than a piece of gravel. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/34 "2024-01-17T04:24:31Z")
Looks like they finally got the container open: > **[At last! NASA finally frees lid of asteroid Bennu sample capsule after...](https://www.space.com/nasa-removes-stuck-fasteners-osiris-rex-asteroid-samples)** > > The asteroid samples aboard NASA's OSIRIS-REx landed in September, but 2 stuck fasteners kept them locked tight. No word yet on the total amount of sample. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2024, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/35 "2024-01-23T07:55:07Z")
A picture of the sample. They still haven’t weighed it. > **[NASA Finally Opened the Asteroid Container and Holy Crap That’s a Lot of...](https://gizmodo.com/nasa-osiris-rex-canister-reveal-asteroid-sample-trove-1851184737)** > > After months of struggling to get to the bulk of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample, the space agency has unveiled a treasure trove of ancient rocks and dust. ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2024, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/36 "2024-01-23T17:03:58Z")
Well they have. Just not all of it yet. “The total amount of the sample weighed thus far is an estimated 8.8 ounces (250 grams) of rock and dust. With the bonus sample alone, NASA already surpassed its goal of bringing at least 2.12 ounces (60 grams) to Earth.” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2024, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/37 "2024-01-23T17:07:44Z")
…How could they have possibly not weighed the sample yet? Surely, they’d have done that before they even opened the canister. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2024, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/38 "2024-01-30T20:16:09Z")
Who knows how NASA handles these things? And don’t call me Shirley. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/39 "2024-01-31T16:30:33Z")
I’m assuming the error bars on their knowledge of the weight of the damaged container are larger than their estimate of the weight of the sample. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2024, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357/40 "2024-02-21T03:38:07Z")
OK, finally got an official weight of the sample: 121.6 grams [https://blogs.nasa.gov/osiris-rex/2024/02/15/nasa-announces-osiris-rex-bulk-sample-mass/](https://blogs.nasa.gov/osiris-rex/2024/02/15/nasa-announces-osiris-rex-bulk-sample-mass/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nasa-planning-to-get-sample-from-an-asteroid-tues-with-spacecraft-osiris-rex/923357.md?page=3)