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    The OSIRIS-REx Sample Canister Lid is Removed

    Lockheed Martin Recovery Specialists, Levi Hanish and Michael Kaye remove the lid of the sample return cannister. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowiz

    NASA scientists found dark powder and sand-sized particles on the avionics deck of the OSIRIS-REx science canister when the initial lid was removed today. The canister from the OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule was delivered to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston on Sept. 25 after landing in the Utah desert on Sept. 24. Johnson houses …

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    Earth’s Magnetosphere and Plasmasheet

    The Earth, surrounded by lines shooting out in many directions. They are labeled Interplanetary Magnetic Field Lines, which flow toward Earth. A bend in on of those lines is a Bow Shock. Lines looping out from Earth are labeled magnetosheath, magnetopause, magnetotail. Shaded areas billowing out from Earth are the Plasmasphere, Radiation Belts, and Plasma Sheet.

    A magnetosphere is that area of space, around a planet, that is controlled by the planet's magnetic field. The shape of the Earth's magnetosphere is the direct result of being blasted by solar wind. The solar wind compresses its sunward side to a distance of only 6 to 10 times the radius of the Earth. …

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    Layers of the Sun

    The Sun, with layers labeled: Core, radiative zone, Convection zone, chromosphere, and corona. Features, including a solar prominent, subsurface flows, sunspots, flare, and a corona hole are labeled.

    The Sun and its atmosphere consist of several zones or layers. From the inside out, the solar interior consists of: The Core – the central region where nuclear reactions consume hydrogen to form helium. These reactions release the energy that ultimately leaves the surface as visible light. The Radiative Zone – extends outward from the …

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    NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Capsule Arrives in Houston

    The first U.S. asteroid sample, delivered by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to Earth on Sept. 24, has arrived at its permanent home at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where it will be cared for, stored, and distributed to scientists worldwide. The sample arrived in Houston at 12:40 pm ET (11:40 am CT) aboard a U.S. …

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    OSIRIS-REx Blog Coverage for Sample Landing Day Concludes

    NASA's OSIRIS-REx clean room team has finished disassembling the sample capsule and packaging its components, including the unopened sample canister. Now packed in shipping containers – along with the environmental samples the recovery team collected around the capsule's landing site this morning – the items are scheduled to be delivered on Monday, Sept. 25, to …

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    NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Capsule Secured in Utah Clean Room

    A cone-shaped, 3-dimensional object is shown. On the left side, the object is closed, and on the right, its lid is open, exposing technical parts inside.

    At 12:37 a.m. EDT (10:37 a.m. MDT), a helicopter gently placed NASA's OSIRIS-REx sample capsule, attached to the end of a 100-foot cable, on the ground outside a hangar on the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range. Two technicians on the ground helped guide the capsule down. Once the helicopter line was detached …

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    Helicopter Transports Sample Capsule to Clean Room

    A human-size, metal box with windows takes up most of the image. It is inside an industrial-looking building.

    With the sample secured and the area around the sample capsule deemed safe, NASA's OSIRIS-REx team completed the detailed and highly coordinated recovery process (which they have practiced many times in the past year). They placed the 100-pound capsule into a metal cradle and wrapped it in multiple sheets of Teflon and then a tarp. …

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