【Research Highlights】 OSIRIS-REx curation at JAXA
NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission successfully collected and returned ~121.6 g of bulk samples from the B-type, near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu to Earth in September 2023. Upon returning to Earth, the samples were transported to the NASA Johnson Space Center where most of the samples have been stored and processed. On August 22, 2024, 0.5 wt% of Bennu samples (0.663 g) and a contact pad that collected particles from the surface of Bennu were permanently transferred to JAXA from NASA based on a Memorandum of Understanding and a letter of agreement between the two agencies.
To curate the Bennu samples JAXA receives at the Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center (ESCuC) in Sagamihara, we prepared the two nitrogen-purged gloveboxes, called clean chambers in a clean room. While maintaining the pristinity of Bennu samples at the curation, we also prepared instruments, comparable to those used for Ryugu, to conduct a series of nondestructive analyses within the clean chambers and to perform a comparative study between the two asteroid samples. As a new initiative for Bennu curation, we also prepared a glove box dedicated to extracting tiny samples from the contact pad. Overall, Bennu curation was conceptualized primarily based on the Hayabusa2 curation, whereas lessons learned from the Hayabusa2 curation were integrated into designing Bennu curation. In this paper, we described preparations for the Bennu curation, with an emphasis on the differences from the Hayabusa2 curation. The preparations include designing and constructing the clean room and CCs with their environment monitoring, developing sample handling tools and sample transfer containers, characterizing samples, cataloging, and planning future work.
＜From the first author – Dr. Tahara＞
As well as getting ready for the OSIRIS-REx clean room, clean chambers, and instruments at the ESCuC, to prepare the sample transfer from NASA to JAXA, we collaborated with NASA curators to modify the transfer containers to incorporate JAXA’s containers inside, and ensure the sample pristine states during the transfer. These collaborations have been instrumental in the successful preparation of the OSIRIS-REx sample curation at JAXA. We were absolutely thrilled to receive the Bennu samples at the ESCuC – it was such an incredible moment!
Original article:
Journal： Meteoritics & Planetary Science
Title： JAXA curation for Bennu samples returned by the NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission
Author： Tahara, R. et al.
DOI： 10.1111/maps.70066
URL： https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/maps.70066
Available online： 23 October 2025