A container with samples of the asteroid Bennu was opened after several months of torment.

To do this, two new tools had to be developed and manufactured.

Engineers were able to unscrew jammed bolts holding the lid of the TAGSAM container containing soil samples from the asteroid Bennu .

For this purpose, specialists even developed and manufactured two new multi-component tools. Now, with their help, steps are being taken to complete the disassembly of the complex mechanism so that the rest of the samples can be extracted.

Difficulties arose due to the fact that the module is located in a “clean zone”, where engineers are forced to work through silicone glove sleeves so as not to contaminate the samples with earthly air. In addition, the container is equipped with a complex security system, which also complicated the task.

Bennu, also called the "doomsday asteroid", is approximately 4.5 billion years old. The soil from it was delivered by NASA's OSIRIS-REx interplanetary station at the end of September 2023 . Previously, scientists had already managed to extract about 70 grams of valuable material from the device’s storage. Preliminary analysis revealed a high content of water and carbon in it - one of the main components for the origin of life.