NASA Science Live: OSIRIS-REx - X Marks the Spot (Episode 13)

Looping animation of asteroid Bennu rotating. This 3D model of Bennu was created using 20cm resolution laser altimetry data and imagery taken by OSIRIS-REx. Looping animation of sunlight sweeping across the surface of Bennu. This 3D model of Bennu was created using 20cm resolution laser altimetry data and imagery taken by OSIRIS-REx. Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu. The Nightingale sample site is visible in the northern hemisphere. Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu. The Nightingale sample site is visible in the northern hemisphere. Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu When NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft arrived at asteroid Bennu in December 2018, its close-up images confirmed what mission planners had predicted nearly two decades before: Bennu is made of loose material weakly clumped together by gravity, and shaped like a spinning top. This major validation, however, was accompanied by a major surprise. Scientists had expected Bennu’s surface to consist of fine-grained material like a sandy beach, but instead OSIRIS-REx was greeted by a rugged world littered with boulders – the size of cars, the size of houses, the size of football fields.The 3D animations on this page were created using laser altimetry data and imagery of Bennu taken by OSIRIS-REx.The Bennu albedo map was generated using images acquired by PolyCam during Baseball Diamond Flyby 1. The images were photometrically normalized to represent the innate albedo of Bennu’s surface. Details for the creation of the map can be found in the forthcoming publication “A High-Resolution Normal Albedo Map of Asteroid (101955) Bennu” by Golish et al. Icarus (2020). Polar regions that were not imaged in Flyby 1 are visualized using the Bennu global basemap, created from PolyCam images acquired during Baseball Diamond Flybys 3 and 4. Details for the creation of the basemap can be found in “A high-resolution global Basemap of (101955) Bennu” by Bennett et al. Icarus (2020). Related pages

After a year of studying asteroid Bennu, the OSIRIS-REx mission chose a location called “Nightingale” as the primary sample collection site.Universal Production Music: “Extreme Measures” by John Sands and Marc Ferrari, “Ice Echoes” by Dominik Luke Marsden Johnson, “Look at the Mirror” by Jonathan FigoliWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. Thermal map of asteroid Bennu OSIRIS-REx is a NASA mission to explore near-Earth asteroid Bennu and return a sample to Earth. Prior to arriving at Bennu, mission planners had expected the asteroid’s surface to consist largely of fine particulate material, similar to gravel. When OSIRIS-REx arrived in December 2018, however, it was greeted by a rocky world covered with boulders.This unexpected ruggedness means that there are few places on Bennu where OSIRIS-REx can safely touch down and collect a sample. After a year of studying the asteroid, the mission announced a primary sample collection site, which they designated “Nightingale,” along with a backup site called “Osprey.” In October 2020, OSIRIS-REx will descend to Bennu and attempt to collect up to four-and-a-half pounds of loose material, for return to Earth in 2023.Learn more about the selection of sample site Nightingale. In the thermal map above, asteroid Bennu’s surface temperatures dramatically change from the night side to the day side, experiencing swings of 270 degrees Fahrenheit. The time that it takes for an object to heat up or cool down is determined by its thermal inertia — a property that can be useful in the remote study of planetary bodies.Fine particulate materials like sand or gravel tend to heat up and cool down quickly (low thermal inertia), while solid objects like rocks and boulders do so more slowly (high thermal inertia). By observing how a distant body like Bennu changes temperature over the course of a day, scientists can usually infer the average size of particles on its surface.Before OSIRIS-REx arrived, scientists had observed that Bennu’s surface heats up and cools down relatively quickly, leading them to predict a mean particle size of about 2-3cm. OSIRIS-REx, however, was greeted by a predominantly rocky asteroid, littered with giant boulders. This discrepancy is one of the major surprises of the OSIRIS-REx mission. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages

Looping animation of asteroid Bennu rotating. This 3D model of Bennu was created using 20cm resolution laser altimetry data and imagery taken by OSIRIS-REx. Short clip of the northern hemisphere of Bennu. This 3D model of Bennu was created using 20cm resolution laser altimetry data and imagery taken by OSIRIS-REx. Short clip of the southern hemisphere of Bennu, highlighting a large boulder nicknamed "BenBen." This 3D model of Bennu was created using 20cm resolution laser altimetry data and imagery taken by OSIRIS-REx. Short clip of the equatorial region of Bennu. This 3D model of Bennu was created using 20cm resolution laser altimetry data and imagery taken by OSIRIS-REx. When NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft arrived at asteroid Bennu in December 2018, its close-up images confirmed what mission planners had predicted nearly two decades before: Bennu is made of loose material weakly clumped together by gravity, and shaped like a spinning top. This major validation, however, was accompanied by a major surprise. Scientists had expected Bennu’s surface to consist of fine-grained material like a sandy beach, but instead OSIRIS-REx was greeted by a rugged world littered with boulders – the size of cars, the size of houses, the size of football fields.The main science goal of OSIRIS-REx is to briefly touch down on Bennu and collect a sample for return to Earth, but the asteroid’s unexpected roughness could pose a hazard to the spacecraft. Areas for safely touching down are fewer and smaller than anticipated, and OSIRIS-REx will have to navigate to them with unprecedented accuracy.The 3D animations on this page were created using laser altimetry data and imagery of Bennu taken by OSIRIS-REx. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages

Close-up images of the OSIRIS-REx sample site candidates on asteroid Bennu.Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 1. Glaze - Common Themes for Small Bodies ResearchCredit: NASA-HQ 2. Glaze - Bennu global mosaic and sample site candidatesCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 1. Lauretta - Bennu global mosaic and sample site candidates (ibid)Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 2. Lauretta - Bennu sample site candidate close-upsCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 3. Lauretta - The OSIRIS-REx primary sample site, NightingaleCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 4. Lauretta - The OSIRIS-REx primary sample site, Nightingale. The center of the site is marked with an X, and a silhouette of the spacecraft is added for scale.Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 5. Lauretta - 3D flyover animation of the OSIRIS-REx primary sample site, NightingaleCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/CSA/York University/MDA 6. Lauretta - The OSIRIS-REx backup sample site, OspreyCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 7. Lauretta - The OSIRIS-REx backup sample site, Osprey. The center of the site is marked with an X, and a silhouette of the spacecraft is added for scale.Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 8. Lauretta - 3D flyover animation of the OSIRIS-REx backup sample site, OspreyCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/CSA/York University/MDA 1. DellaGiustina - Bennu global image mosaicCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 2. DellaGiustina - Bennu global image mosaic, with primary and backup sample sites labeledCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 3. DellaGiustina - The OSIRIS-REx primary and backup sample sitesCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 4. DellaGiustina - The "sampleability" map for Sites Nightingale and Osprey, showing the location of sampleable material at each site. Blue regions correspond to high sampleability, while red regions correspond to low sampleability.Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 1. Moreau - Animation of OSIRIS-REx collecting a sample of BennuCredit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center 2. Moreau - Size comparison of the planned sample collection safe zone before arriving at Bennu (orange), and after arriving at Bennu (blue). The safe zone for Site Nightingale is no wider than a few parking spaces. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 3. Moreau - This image shows sample site Nightingale overlaid with a simplified hazard map. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft uses this map to autonomously detect surface hazards, such as boulders or rocks, while it descends to collect a sample. The green illustrates areas that are free of hazards, and means the spacecraft will continue to the surface. Yellow demonstrates cautionary areas, and red areas contain the most hazards. If the spacecraft predicts it will touch either a yellow or red area, it will stop its descent and back away.Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 4. Moreau - OSIRIS-REx Sample Acquisition Campaign scheduleCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona Data visualization of asteroid Bennu and the OSIRIS-REx sample site candidates.Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/CSA/York University/MDA NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission announced its primary and backup sample collection sites on asteroid Bennu, at a press conference hosted during AGU’s Fall Meeting at 2 p.m. ET, Thursday, Dec. 12.The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft launched on Sept. 8, 2016, and arrived at asteroid Bennu on Dec. 3, 2018. In mid-2020, it will briefly touch down on Bennu’s surface and collect a sample for return to Earth in late 2023.The mission represents a valuable opportunity to learn more about the origins of our solar system, the sources of water and organic molecules on Earth, and the hazards and resources in near-Earth space. The briefing participants are: Lori Glaze, director of planetary science for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA HeadquartersDante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona, TucsonDani DellaGiustina, OSIRIS-REx image processing lead scientist at the University of Arizona, Tucson Mike Moreau, OSIRIS-REx deputy project manager at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center For more information, go to nasa.gov/osirisrex or asteroidmission.org For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages