Scientists just opened the lid to NASA’s asteroid sample canister

Enlarge / The lid is open on the OSIRIS-REx sample return canister, revealing a tantalizing ring of dust outside the main sample collection chamber.Dante Lauretta

Dante Lauretta, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona, has waited nearly 20 years to get his hands on pristine specimens from an asteroid, which he says is a key to unlocking answers to mysteries about the origin of life on Earth. On Tuesday, he got his first look at dust grains returned by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission.

Because they want to be sure, members of the OSIRIS-REx science team will wipe some of the

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