NASA Completed Mock test To Bring An Asteroid Sample Back In Earth; People Scared

NASA, always being the pioneer of space exploration, launched the ground-breaking mission OSIRIS-REx, to demonstrate how humans can interact with celestial bodies like Asteroid in the future.

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will bring a small sample from asteroid Bennu in the Utah desert on Sept. 24. The team, responsible for this mission, includes principal investigator Dante Lauretta, a Professor of Planetary Sciences in the University of Arizona Regents, and Anjani Polit, a senior systems engineer with the university's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. Ths later one serves as mission implementation systems engineer for this project. While some scientists are excited, some are even more worried, let's find out why.

About the OSIRIS-Rex mission:

OSIRIS-Rex stands for "Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security–Regolith Explorer."

NASA launched the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft mission on September 8, 2016. The aim was to reach the near-Earth asteroid named Bennu, observe it in detail, and return a sample to earth. Being the remnants from the solar system’s formation, Asteroid preserve water, organic molecules,and several minerals. By experiment on these molecules, researchers hope to conclude the story of our cosmic beginnings.

Using its Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), OSIRIS-REx touched briefly the asteroid’s surface and collected a sample in October 2020. This was an historic achievement.

The OSIRIS-REx mission also provided the groundwork for upcoming missions, like asteroid mining as well as planetary defense strategies against hazardous asteroids. Most importantly, this mission provides insights into the ancient solar system.

Have a look on the OSIRIS-REx mission

The mock test:

A mockup of the OSIRIS-REx sample capsule was dropped from an aircraft last week which was landed at the 'drop zone' at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range in the desert outside Salt Lake City.

"We are now mere weeks away from receiving a piece of solar system history on Earth, and this successful drop test ensures we're ready," said Nicola Fox, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C.

Previously, a series of earlier rehearsals were followed prior to this drop test. The experiments like capsule recovery, sample curation procedures, and spacecraft engineering operations were conducted in both spring and earlier this summer.

Watch NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample recovery team gathered in Utah's West Desert to participate in final preparations.

Recovery teams met this week at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range to participate in field rehearsals and a drop test in preparation for the retrieval of the sample return capsule from @NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission. See more ? - https://t.co/pagGNTVDtl pic.twitter.com/2qgYLcca0A

— NASA HQ PHOTO (@nasahqphoto) August 30, 2023

You can observe the capsule's entry:

The capsule will enter Earth's atmosphere on Sept. 24 at 10:42 a.m. EDT, traveling at around 27,650 mph. NASA's live coverage of the capsule landing will begin at 10 a.m. EDT and will also air on NASA TV, NASA app as well as the agency website.

Lauretta shares the significance of this mission:

"We're going back to the dawn of the solar system; we're looking for clues why Earth is a habitable world," Lauretta said during a news conference following the successful drop test. "What is life, how did it originate, and why was Earth the place where it occurred? Bennu is so rich in carbonaceous compounds. We believe that we bring material that may literally be representative of the seeds of life that these asteroids delivered at the beginning of our planet."

"I call Bennu the 'trickster asteroid.' It has challenged us every step of the way,'" Lauretta said.  "The good news is that due to that soft surface, we collected an enormous amount of material. We believe that we have at least four times as much material in that sample return capsule as we promised NASA when we designed the mission – over 8 ounces, or about 250 grams – and boy, is the science team excited to get that."

What's next after the entry?

Once landed safely, they will be transported to a temporary clean room on the military range. A wide range of initial processing steps and disassembly will be performed there. Further, it will be taken to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. There, the scientists will document, preserve, and consequently disseminate the important sample for in-depth analysis.

Is there any risks involved?

Returning an extraterrestrial asteroid object to Earth has immense scientific importance. However, this has raised some concerns among several segments of the population. People are scared of potential biohazards associated with any asteroid sample. Some people are worried about speculated presence of extraterrestrial microorganisms or substances. People had this kind of notions before Apollo mission to moon.

Risks associated with initial impact:

From potential disturbances in the landing sites to cumulative consequences, Space missions always have some environmental impacts.

Scientists believe that despite the small size of the sample capsule and perfect landing procedure, there lies a slight risk when any object is re-entering our atmosphere.

However, NASA and its collaborators have considered the consequences and planned carefully. For example, the mission has extensive containment protocols to ensure both the purity of the sample and environmental safety.

Broadly, the OSIRIS-REx mission is a massive step in understanding our place in the cosmos. Alongside showcasing human ingenuity, NASA is bringing a piece of the universe closer to humanity. This will encourage human's fascination for the great expanse beyond Earth.