NASA's spectacular success in retrieving direct samples of the asteroid Bennu and returning them to Earth after a seven-year journey has already yielded rich rewards that scientists hope will justify its $1.2 billion price tag. The OSIRIS-REX main sample container (not yet opened for reasons to be explained) resides within a larger canister. When opening that, scientists were said to let out audible gasps of pleasant surprise at finding more than 70 grams of gritty dust and rocky crumbles that came along as a bonus to the 250 grams of material they hoped to find in the sample container.
Preliminary analyses have already found the hitch-hiking samples to be clay minerals rich in water and organic compounds. This provides further evidence for the theory that life on Earth may have been seeded by asteroids raining down during our planet's early years.
In a rather embarrassing twist that serves to humanize science, the lid of the main sample container is stuck. It's said running warm water over it or tapping it against the kitchen counter are not options scientists can entertain given that it must be opened in the atmosphere of a controlled clean room and nitrogen-filled glovebox so as not to contaminate the pristine samples. Know of anyone with a good grip?

Asteroid Samples Are Said to Hold Invaluable Secrets

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