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Asteroid sampling missions are getting increasingly complex. Recent announcements about the existence of amino acids in the sample OSIRIS-REx returned from Bennu in 2023 will likely result in more interest in studying the small bodies strewn throughout our solar system. Engineering challenges abound when doing so, though, including one of the most important \u2013 how to collect a sample from the asteroid. A new paper from researchers at the China Academy of Space Technology looks at a gas-drive sample system they believe could hold the key to China\u2019s future asteroid sample return mission.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n There are three main categories of successful asteroid sampling missions \u2013 shooting, drilling, and puffing. The original Hayabusa mission in 2010 was an example of the first method \u2013 it fired a bullet into the asteroid\u2019s surface after performing a \u201csoft landing.\u201d It used the force of the bullet\u2019s impact to shoot fragments into a collection system. This has the advantage of not requiring the spacecraft to be anchored to the asteroid but isn\u2019t very effective at breaking through hard surfaces.<\/p>\n The puffing method, which OSIRIS-REx used during its visit to Bennu, has the same advantages and disadvantages. Instead of a bullet, it puffed nitrogen at the surface as part of its Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM).\u00a0<\/p>\n \n