A mysterious black dust has stopped NASA experts from analysing the asteroid samples which crashed to Earth on Sunday (September 24).
After completing a 63,000 mile journey from the Osiris-Rex spacecraft, the small capsule containing samples from the Bennu asteroid landed in the Utah desert in the United States at around 3.53pm UK time on Sunday (September 24). Bennu has been dubbed the Solar System’s “most dangerous asteroid”, and experts are hoping the samples could help inform possible deterrents should it head towards us on its fly-past in September 2182.
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However, after scientists cracked open the OSIRIS-REx science canister at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Tuesday, they halted work due to the presence of unidentified “black dust and debris”. With the lid open, researchers were able to assess the so-called Touch and Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) on top of the avionics deck.
A NASA spokesman explained: “Scientists and engineers removed the lid and saw black dust and debris on the surfaces of the avionics deck and TAGSAM. This dust will undergo a quick-look analysis to determine if it is in fact material from the asteroid Bennu.
Every time I see a headline like this I think: will this be the one? Like, every apocalypse movie ever starts with something like this
I’m sure it’ll be fine, said every bystander ever in an apocalypse movie just before their face is bitten/blown off.