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The mission canceled the mass measurement of the sample tomorrow to protect the sample and is now on track to save the sample as soon as possible. The spacecraft remains in good health and the mission is confident that the spacecraft has collected more than 60 grams of material. pic.twitter.com/hABL4n3JYN
– OSIRIS-REx from NASA (@OSIRISREx) October 23, 2020
NASA Associate Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen said in a statement that “although we may have to move faster to store the sample, it is not a serious problem. We are very excited to see what appears to be an abundant sample that will inspire science for decades beyond this historic moment. “Dante Lauretta leads the science team and said:” The loss of mass worries me, so I highly recommend the team to save this precious sample ASAP. “
Based on the data, they believe that the head has “much more than 2 ounces of regolith” and have adjusted their plans to store it as quickly as possible. A planned measurement that would have rotated the sampling arm to help determine the mass of the sample was canceled, as well as a braking burn for the ship.
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