NASA's Osiris-Rex probe reveals surprising black debris from asteroid sample
The return capsule containing a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020 by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is seen shortly after touching down in the desert at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range in Dugway, Utah, U.S., Sept. 24, 2023. (Reuters Photo)


After a seven-year anticipation, NASA scientists successfully opened a space probe Tuesday, revealing the largest asteroid samples ever returned to Earth, which turned out to be black debris.

Researchers "found black dust and debris on the avionics deck of the Osiris-Rex science canister when the initial lid was removed today," the U.S. space agency said, though without specifying whether they definitely belonged to the asteroid.

Scientists eagerly await researching the bulk of the sample, which will require "intricate disassembly" of the probe.

Recovery team members carry a space capsule carrying NASA's first asteroid samples to a temporary clean room at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, U.S., Sept. 24, 2023. (AFP Photo)
Eileen Standbery, NASA Chief Scientist, answers questions during a press conference after the sample return capsule from NASA OSIRIS-REx mission was completed successfully at Dugway, Utah, U.S., Sept. 24, 2023. (AFP Photo)

Osiris-Rex launched in 2016, landing on the asteroid Bennu and collected roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its rocky surface.

Even that small amount, NASA has said, should "help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth."

It ended its 3.86-billion-mile (6.21-billion-kilometer) journey after touching down in the desert in the western state of Utah on Sunday, following a high-stakes, fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere.

A recovery team member examines a space capsule carrying NASA's first asteroid samples to a temporary clean room at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, U.S., Sept. 24, 2023. (AFP Photo)

The residue on the avionics deck found Tuesday was likely a result of issues during the collection, which NASA said were eventually solved, allowing the secure transfer of the sample.

The lid was opened in an airtight chamber at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

A news conference is scheduled for Oct. 11, in which the bulk of the sample will be revealed to the public.

A helicopter delivers a space capsule carrying NASA's first asteroid samples to a temporary clean room at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, U.S., Sept. 24, 2023. (AFP Photo)

The analysis of the asteroid, scientists believe, will help researchers better understand the formation of the solar system and how Earth became habitable.

Most of the sample will be conserved for study by future generations. Roughly one-fourth will be immediately used in experiments, and a small amount will be sent to mission partners Japan and Canada.