The mysterious capsule, which has the potential to determine the fate of the Earth and was brought from the Bennu asteroid after traveling billions of kilometers, cannot be opened. This capsule, obtained after 7 years of meticulous work and a $1 billion investment, has become a big question mark in the scientific world because it has not been opened. The inability to access the contents of this locked treasure, which is thought to contain important clues, has become one of the biggest mysteries of space research.
NASA, asteroid BennuHe worked for seven years to collect samples from However, capsule It has not been open since September. NASA Engineers are working on various methods to open the box and remove the samples without damaging the samples inside. The space agency had to develop new tools to open the canister containing debris from the Bennu asteroid. The container found in September has never been opened until now. to the Utah desert This carefully left capsule also came to the fore in September.
Bennu Asteroid at Risk of Hitting Earth
To collect samples from the Bennu asteroid, which is at risk of hitting the Earth, OSIRIS-REx spacecraft It was launched in 2016. The vehicle reached the Bennu asteroid in 2020. The spacecraft collected 250 grams of samples from the asteroid’s surface and returned to Earth in September 2023. However, NASA’s $1.15 billion and seven-year-cost cargo cannot be opened. Scientists are trying to conduct research by examining dust particles leaking from around the cargo.
It is unclear when the cargo of NASA’s four billion kilometer journey will be unloaded. However, NASA engineers are reportedly working to open the capsule without damaging the sample inside. It is not possible to say that the OSIRIS-REx project has failed. NASA, initially aimed to collect 60 grams of sample with the OSIRIS-REx project. However, it is currently stated that the amount of sample extending outside the capsule is 70 grams. So, even if the interior is never accessible, NASA has already achieved the goal it set in the OSIRIS-REx project.
Bennu is One of the Two Most Dangerous Objects Known in the Solar System
Bennu is known as a small-sized and carbon-rich asteroid. The rock structure is thought to be quite similar to that of the Earth. The samples brought by the spacecraft are expected to provide important information about the history of the Solar system.
Bennu, One of the two most dangerous known objects in the solar system.It is accepted as i. Some scientists suggest that Bennu has the potential to hit Earth in the late 2100s. While Bennu’s odds of hitting Earth are only one in 2,700, five times more likely than a person being struck by lightning, the NASA team classifies it among the most dangerous asteroids known.
Researchers announced that Bennu could hit the Earth with an energy of 1,200 megatons in the worst-case scenario. This energy was used by the Soviet Union, which was the largest atomic bomb ever detonated on earth. of the Tsar Bomba It will be equivalent to 24 times the power.
Information on Bennu’s Impact Date
Scientists have estimated the 1.2 gigaton impact of Bennu on impact with Earth 159 years after the possible impact. On September 24, 2182 They calculated that it would show. Davide Farnocchia from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory stated that the information about Bennu’s orbit has been increased by 20 times. NASA assessed possible risks to Bennu’s orbit about 47 years before its possible collision, i.e. in 2135 will calculate it during the next flyby of Earth. In this way, definitive information will be available in 2135.
In conclusion, NASA’s failure to open samples from asteroid Bennu does not mean that the OSIRIS-REx project has failed. However, this shows that there is still a possibility that Bennu will hit the Earth.
