NASA begins opening extraterrestrial capsule, risk of strange bacteria entering?

Scientists were thrilled when they opened the asteroid sample container of the OSIRIS-REx probe.

Precious alien specimen and the 7-year journey

On September 27, scientists at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) began removing the outer cover of the capsule on the OSIRIS-REx probe.

The capsule of the OSIRIS-REx probe lands at a military test site in Utah, USA. (Photo: NASA).

This is a sample from Bennu - an asteroid in space , collected by the spacecraft after a 7-year journey in space, and just returned to Earth on September 24.

Bennu is estimated to be about 6.2 billion kilometers from Earth. The sample was collected from the asteroid in 2020, and has been stored in the OSIRIS-REx capsule ever since.

"They (scientists) were extremely excited when the lid was lifted," said NASA's Astromaterials Exploration and Research Science (ARES) division.

In the first step of the research, NASA will collect black powder and small, sand-sized particles from the capsule's lid and base that are believed to have been present on the surface of asteroid Bennu, which is also the focus of the OSIRIS-REx mission.

NASA experts remove the lid of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample container on September 27. (Photo: NASA).

Researchers will analyze the sample to reveal new insights into the early formation and evolution of matter in the Solar System. In addition, the study will assess the role of carbon-rich asteroids like Bennu in seeding Earth with the 'building blocks of life.'

But this won't happen quickly. The ARES team has only just begun to access the asteroid sample. They are trying to disassemble the complex system of the Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) to access the larger sample inside.

Once TAGSAM is separated from the capsule, it will be placed in a sealed container and stored in a nitrogen environment for up to 2 hours. These operations take place in a laboratory specially designed for the OSIRIS-REx mission.

Risk of foreign bacteria invasion?

Ever since the Bennu sample capsule landed on Earth, concerns have been raised that it might accidentally release tiny alien organisms, mixed in with the dust and rocks.

This stems from a statement by Dr. Jason Dworkin, OSIRIS-REx mission scientist, when he admitted that this was an 'unrestricted return to Earth' mission.

This means that samples brought back from asteroid Bennu have no restrictions whatsoever , including those related to biology.

Dr. Jason Dworkin holding a geological sample. (Photo: Oxy).

However, OSIRIS-REx scientists immediately reassured that the team did not find any life on asteroid Bennu during the study period.

Instead, they look to find the "building blocks of life ," typically key amino acids, that might play a role in becoming life.

Dr. Dworkin also isn't worried about the possibility of pathogens escaping into the environment and causing trouble, or spreading disease. Any material that survives on the asteroid is not suited to survival on Earth, he says, because it evolved in a separate biosphere.

In addition, it is also necessary to mention that the specimens will be opened in high-tech facilities with the ability to simulate special environments, to minimize the possibility of foreign bacteria entering.

NASA is expected to announce the first findings of asteroid Bennu samples on October 11. The precious "treasure" will then be divided among various scientific organizations and world space agencies for exploration.

Of those, NASA will keep 70% of the samples for analysis over the coming years. 25% will be shared among more than 200 scientists at 35 different facilities. 4% will be given to the Canadian Space Agency and 0.5% to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).