That’s exactly the thought I had about it. (The sample return part.)
Perhaps also with a small containment field with its own power supply? Thus the smaller size would allow for more efficient use of such a field, whether by allowing it to be more secure while using the same power as a larger field or to sustain a smaller field for a longer time in cases of general power failure?
Over at Daystrom, this comes up from time to time. I’ve formed a head-canon for it as well. To quote one of my comments on a thread there regarding the explosions (and the “rocks”):
So, the consoles are exploding from the failure of the EPS conduits and the expansion of the coolant.