All data shows that the touchdown and sample collection was a success! More details to follow in the next few days. At least 2020 is looking good on the space exploration front.
I think everyone involved should watch The Andromeda Strain before the capsule with the collected material returns to Earth. Here's an animation of the collection process. They won't know for a couple weeks whether they picked up enough stuff. If not they'll try again in January. Just for fun here's a clip from Andromeda Strain.
Remember when the Genesis sample return probe crashed to Earth back in 2004? I think it caused COVID-19. It just took the virus 16 years to figure out our DNA.
This looks encouraging. https://www.asteroidmission.org/?la...collects-significant-amount-of-asteroid-bennu
Apparently the mission is a victim of its own success. It collected much more sample than anticipated and, as a result, can't close the flap on the container. Stuff is leaking into space. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/23/science/osiris-rex-asteroid.html
I also read the collector sank 10 to 20 inches into the surface. They should have lots of material in the collection containers that ring the head. They are going to stow the collector directly rather than spin it around to sense the mass of the material. They think they got more than a mouthful.
Interesting. I did read that, as the probe got closer to Bennu, the high-res cameras revealed that the asteroid was much more rocky and sandy than originally thought.
Andromeda Strain coming to Utah September 24. https://www.space.com/news/live/nasa-osiris-rex-asteroid-bennu-sample-return-updates
They say there's "no chance" of any biological hazard hitching a ride. They obviously didn't watch the historical documents.
