美国宇航局（NASA）日前宣布，历经三个多月的努力，他们终于拆除了小行星贝努（Bennu）样本容器两个卡住的紧固件。这一消息让科学家们备受鼓舞，因为这意味着他们很快就能看到内部的秘密了。
据悉，OSIRIS-REx 探测器于 2023 年 9 月将取回的样本送回地球，随后前往探索另一颗小行星阿波菲斯（Apophis）。尽管 NASA 最初能够从样本容器（名为 TAGSAM）外部收集到了几盎司的小行星物质，但由于容器 35 个紧固件中的两个出现了问题，内部大部分珍贵样本一直无法取出。
TAGSAM 被放置在一个特殊的手套箱中，以防止样本被污染，只有特定的工具才能用于操作。现有的工具都无法打开顽固的紧固件，因此团队不得不开发新的工具。据IT之家了解，打开容器面临着双重挑战：一是保护样本不受污染，只能使用经过严格审核的工具；二是操作空间狭小，对工具的尺寸、重量和活动范围都有严格限制。
OSIRIS-REx 样本管理专家妮可・伦宁博士（Dr. Nicole Lunning）表示，“研发新工具既要遵守安全规定，又要适应狭小的操作环境，着实考验了团队的创新能力。”
英语如下：
Title: NASA Successfully Unlocks Sample Container from Asteroid Bennu, Revealing Its Secrets Soon
Keywords: NASA, Bennu sample, Fasteners
Content: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently announced that after more than three months of effort, they have successfully removed two stuck fasteners from the sample container of the asteroid Bennu. This news has greatly encouraged scientists as it means they will soon be able to uncover its secrets.
It is reported that the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft returned the collected samples to Earth in September 2023 and then proceeded to explore another asteroid, Apophis. Although NASA was initially able to collect several ounces of asteroid material from outside the sample container (named TAGSAM), most of the precious samples inside could not be retrieved due to issues with two of the container’s 35 fasteners.
TAGSAM is placed in a special glove box to prevent contamination of the samples, and only specific tools can be used for operation. The existing tools were unable to open the stubborn fasteners, so the team had to develop new tools. According to IT House, there are two challenges in opening the container: one is to protect the samples from contamination by using strictly reviewed tools; the other is the limited operating space, which imposes strict restrictions on the size, weight, and range of motion of the tools.
Dr. Nicole Lunning, an OSIRIS-REx sample management expert, said, “Developing new tools while complying with safety regulations and adapting to the confined operating environment truly tests the team’s innovation capabilities.”
【来源】https://www.ithome.com/0/745/544.htm
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