The spacecraft OSIRIS-REx briefly made contact with the asteroid 101955 Bennu in 2020. NASA scientist Daniella DellaGiustina reports that despite...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The spacecraft OSIRIS-REx briefly made contact with the asteroid 101955 Bennu in 2020. NASA scientist Daniella DellaGiustina reports that despite facing the unexpected obstacle of a surface mostly covered in boulders, OSIRIS-REx successfully ________ a sample of the surface, gathering pieces of it to bring back to Earth.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
attached
collected
followed
replaced
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The spacecraft OSIRIS-REx briefly made contact with the asteroid 101955 Bennu in 2020.' | What it says: OSIRIS-REx touched asteroid Bennu in 2020. What it does: Introduces the spacecraft and its mission context. What it is: Background context |
| 'NASA scientist Daniella DellaGiustina reports that despite facing the unexpected obstacle of a surface mostly covered in boulders,' | What it says: DellaGiustina says surface was mostly boulders which was an unexpected problem. What it does: Presents a challenge the mission encountered. What it is: Obstacle/complication |
| 'OSIRIS-REx successfully _______ a sample of the surface,' | What it says: OSIRIS-REx successfully performed some action with a sample from surface. What it does: States the mission's successful outcome despite obstacles. What it is: Main achievement claim |
| 'gathering pieces of it to bring back to Earth.' | What it says: collected pieces to return to Earth. What it does: Explains what the sampling action involved. What it is: Clarifying detail |
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Despite facing unexpected surface obstacles, the OSIRIS-REx mission successfully obtained samples from asteroid Bennu to bring back to Earth.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes the mission context, introduces an unexpected challenge that could have hindered the mission, then emphasizes that despite this obstacle, the spacecraft successfully accomplished its sampling goal.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer should describe the act of obtaining or acquiring the sample material from the asteroid's surface
- It should align with the context of 'gathering pieces of it to bring back to Earth' and make sense after 'successfully' and before 'a sample'
attached
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests OSIRIS-REx fastened something TO the asteroid
- Doesn't match the mission goal of bringing material back to Earth
collected
✓ Correct
- Means to gather or obtain something, which perfectly matches getting samples from the surface
- Aligns with 'gathering pieces of it to bring back to Earth'
followed
✗ Incorrect
- Means to come after or pursue something
- Makes no sense in the context of obtaining physical samples
replaced
✗ Incorrect
- Means to substitute one thing for another
- Doesn't fit the mission context at all