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live_NASA_finally_opens_its_prized_asteroid_canister,_don’t_miss_20240123_084233

live_NASA_finally_opens_its_prized_asteroid_canister,_don’t_miss_20240123_084233

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 Inside Building 31 at Johnson Space Center, NASA scientists have opened the metal canister holding rocks the agency plucked off a distant asteroid. NASA has spent months trying to release two "stubborn" fasteners on the canister's lid, which was no easy feat. The asteroid receptacle, after parachuting down to Earth from outer space, has been (understandably) isolated inside a specially-designed glovebox, with limited tools and access. Now, the lid is open, and the agency has snapped a picture of the bulk of what it captured from asteroid Bennu, a 1,600-foot-wide asteroid composed of boulders and rubble. It's the prize of the agency's first ever mission to bring pristine pieces of an asteroid back to our planet, an endeavor called OSIRIS-REx (short for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer). "It’s open! It’s open! And ready for its closeup," NASA wrote on X, formerly Twitter. You can see dark rocks up to about 0.4 inches (1 centimeter) wide, and smaller particles of different sizes. Mashable Light Speed Want more space and science stories in your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Priva
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