OSIRIS-REx: Science Operations Center & Mission Support Area
- Support:
- Erin Morton
- View full credits
Movies
- OSIRIS-REx_SOC_B-roll_V3_20181107.webm (960x540) [74.2 MB]
- FACEBOOK_720_OSIRIS-REx_SOC_B-roll_V3_20181107_facebook_720.mp4 (1280x720) [262.1 MB]
- TWITTER_720_OSIRIS-REx_SOC_B-roll_V3_20181107_twitter_720.mp4 (1280x720) [39.9 MB]
- OSIRIS-REx_SOC_B-roll_V3_20181107.mov (3840x2160) [14.6 GB]
- YOUTUBE_4K_OSIRIS-REx_SOC_B-roll_V3_20181107_youtube_4k.mp4 (3840x2160) [1.5 GB]
Captions
- Captions_OSIRIS-REx_SOC_B-roll.en_US.srt [397 bytes]
- Captions_OSIRIS-REx_SOC_B-roll.en_US.vtt [387 bytes]
Images
- OSIRIS-REx_SOC_Preview_print.jpg (1024x576) [89.6 KB]
- OSIRIS-REx_SOC_Preview.jpg (3840x2160) [611.5 KB]
- OSIRIS-REx_SOC_Preview_thm.png (80x40) [7.2 KB]
- OSIRIS-REx_SOC_Preview_searchweb.png (320x180) [80.0 KB]
The OSIRIS-REx Science Operations Center (SOC) at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Data from the spacecraft are downlinked to the SOC for study by science team members.
Movies
- OSIRIS-REx_MSA_B-roll_20181025.webm (960x540) [48.9 MB]
- FACEBOOK_720_OSIRIS-REx_MSA_B-roll_20181025_facebook_720.mp4 (1280x720) [138.3 MB]
- TWITTER_720_OSIRIS-REx_MSA_B-roll_20181025_twitter_720.mp4 (1280x720) [20.3 MB]
- OSIRIS-REx_MSA_B-roll_20181025.mov (3840x2160) [7.7 GB]
- YOUTUBE_4K_OSIRIS-REx_MSA_B-roll_20181025_youtube_4k.mp4 (3840x2160) [843.5 MB]
Captions
- Captions_OSIRIS-REx_MSA_B-roll.en_US.srt [265 bytes]
- Captions_OSIRIS-REx_MSA_B-roll.en_US.vtt [263 bytes]
Images
- OSIRIS-REx_MSA_Preview_print.jpg (1024x576) [121.5 KB]
- OSIRIS-REx_MSA_Preview.jpg (3840x2160) [2.2 MB]
The OSIRIS-REx Mission Support Area (MSA) at Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado. Commands to fly OSIRIS-REx are sent to the spacecraft from the MSA.
For More Information
See NASA.gov
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Scientists
- Daniella DellaGiustina (The University of Arizona/LPL)
- Dante Lauretta (The University of Arizona)
Engineers
- Coralie Adam (KinetX)
- Javier Cerna (Lockheed Martin Space Systems)
Producer
- Dan Gallagher (KBRwyle)
Videographers
- John Caldwell (AIMM)
- Rob Andreoli (AIMM)
Project support
- Erin Morton (The University of Arizona) [Lead]
- Christine Hoekenga (The University of Arizona)
- Dani Hauf (Lockheed Martin Space Systems)
- Heather Roper (The University of Arizona)
Technical support
- Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET)
Missions
This visualization is related to the following missions:Related pages
OSIRIS-REx Live Shots: NASA Will Make U.S. History Next Week Snagging Samples From An Asteroid For …
Oct. 14th, 2020
Read moreQuick link to the OSIRIS-REx team cheering after a successful TAG maneuver on Tuesday, Oct 20Quick link to B-ROLL for the live shotsClick here for OSIRIS-REx PRESS KITClick here for Latest releaseLatest release in Spanish.OSIRIS-REx poster COLLECTABLESWhy Bennu? 10 Reasons***NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is going Asteroid Hunting. Listen now to NASA's "Curious Universe" podcast that takes you inside the daring mission B-roll graphics NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is going Asteroid Hunting. Listen now to NASA's "Curious Universe" podcast that takes you inside the daring mission: to briefly reach out its mechanical arm and grab a sample from an asteroid’s surface. Dante Lauretta, Heather Enos, and Ron Mink introduce you to NASA’s asteroid hunter and what this sample return mission means for us here on Earth. The OSIRIS-REx team celebrates after a sucessful TAG maneuver on Tuesday, Oct 20. Location: Littleton, CO NASA’s First Asteroid Sample Return Mission Is Ready For TouchdownNext Week NASA Will Snag A Sample From An Ancient Relic Of Our Solar SystemNASA’s OSIRIS-REx Will Help Unlock The Secrets Of Our Solar System NASA’s first-ever sample return mission to an asteroid is about to make history. Next week, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will attempt to retrieve a sample from an asteroid named Bennu. Asteroids are remnants of the building blocks that formed the planets in our solar system, and perhaps enabled life on Earth. They contain natural resources such as water, organics and metals. Could carbon-rich asteroids have seeded our early Earth with the organic chemistry needed for life to develop? And they can be dangerous. Bennu has a 1:2700 chance of impacting Earth in the late 2100s, but this mission will also help us learn more about protecting ourselves if necessary. NASA experts are available virtually for live or taped interviews on October 20th from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EDT - the morning of this historic maneuver - to tell your viewers how they can watch the event unfold, and what scientists hope to learn from this out-of-this-world sample from a nearby asteroid. ** NASA TV will begin live coverage beginning at 5:00 p.m. EDT on October 20th. The “Touch-And-Go,” or TAG, maneuver is scheduled for around 6:12 p.m. EDT. **In 2016, NASA launched OSIRIS-REx on an epic mission to capture a sample of an asteroid and bring it back to Earth. On the evening of October 20th, the spacecraft will descend to the boulder-strewn surface of Bennu to a site called Nightingale, where the spacecraft’s robotic sampling arm will attempt to snag a sample. There are more than a million known asteroids in our solar system, but Bennu is an ideal candidate for closer study because of its size, composition and proximity to Earth. Bennu is an artifact of the ancient solar system, a silent witness to the titanic events in our solar system’s 4.6 billion-year history. The spacecraft is scheduled to depart Bennu in 2021 and it will deliver the collected sample to Earth on Sep. 24, 2023. To Schedule an interview: Please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/uTgSr3r8LQr3nPt2A*Spanish Interviews are available*Interviews will be conducted using video chat programs including Skype in 15-minute slots. For example 600-615 ET, 615-630 EDT, etc. Satellite interviews are not available. Participating Scientists/Engineers:Jim Garvin / NASA Goddard Chief ScientistDanny Glavin / NASA ScientistJason Dworkin / NASA ScientistLucy Lim / NASA ScientistNayi Castro / NASA Engineer*Jose Aponte / NASA Scientist *Geronimo Villanueva / NASA Scientist * Location: Denver, COThomas Zurbuchen / Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, NASA HeadquartersLori Glaze / Director, Planetary Science Mission Directorate, NASA HeadquartersMark Clampin / Director of Sciences and Exploration Directorate, NASA GoddardDante Lauretta / OSIRIS-REx Principal Investigator, University of ArizonaMichelle Thaller / NASA ScientistSuggested Questions: Later today, NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission, OSIRIS-REx, will attempt to collect a sample from an asteroid named Bennu, to bring back to Earth. Tell us what is going to happen today.How tricky is today’s maneuver to collect the sample?What happens if you’re not able to collect a sample today?There are a lot of asteroids in our solar system. Why was Bennu chosen?What can asteroids teach us about the origins of our solar system, and whether life might exist elsewhere?What are you most excited about learning from this mission?How can our viewers watch today’s event unfold, and stay up to date on the mission? Longer interview questions: OSIRIS-REx first launched in 2016 and arrived at Bennu in 2018. Why have scientists waited so long to actually obtain a sample? How is the spacecraft able to keep up with the asteroid?The spot on Bennu where the spacecraft will touch is named Nightingale. What is the reason behind choosing this location?Scientists originally thought Bennu would have a smooth surface, but it’s proven to be a very rocky and treacherous surface. Can you talk about some of the other surprising things you’ve learned about this asteroid?What can asteroids teach us about our place in the universe and whether life might exist in other solar systems?The Apollo astronauts brought back samples of the Moon that we’re still studying today. Can you talk about why sample return missions are so important to scientists and what future missions might explore?What will scientists do once the sample returns to Earth? Suggested Anchor Intro: IT’S GAME DAY FOR NASA.... LATER TODAY, NASA WILL MAKE HISTORY WHEN ITS OSIRIS-REX SPACECRAFT ATTEMPTS TOUCHDOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME TO COLLECT A SAMPLE FROM AN ASTEROID THAT WILL LATER RETURN TO EARTH. TODAY WE HAVE XXXX JOINING US FROM XX, XXX TO TALK ABOUT THIS EXCITING MISSION, HOW WE CAN WATCH THE EVENTS UNFOLD AND WHAT SCIENTISTS ARE HOPING TO LEARN. Related pages
OSIRIS-REx Social Media Interviews
July 12th, 2019
Read moreDr. Dante Lauretta - OSIRIS-REx Principal Investigator, University of Arizona. Dr. Lauretta talks about the team behind the mission. Complete transcript available.Watch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel. Dr. Amy Simon, OVIRS Deputy Instrument Scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.Dr. Simon talks about seeing asteroid Bennu for the first time. Complete transcript available.Watch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel. Dr. Amy Simon, OVIRS Deputy Instrument Scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.Dr. Simon goes in-depth about the different spectrometers used in the mission. Complete transcript available.Watch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel. Olivia Billett - OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Science Lead at Lockheed Martin. Billett talks about the complexities of orbiting around asteroid Bennu. Complete transcript available.Watch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel. Sandy Freund - OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Manager at Lockheed Martin. Freund talks about mission operations. Complete transcript available.Watch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel. This page contains interviews with personnel from the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission, edited for social media. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launched Sept. 8, 2016, and began orbiting asteroid Bennu on Dec. 31, 2018. Its primary science objective is to study Bennu and collect a sample for return to Earth in 2023. Bennu is a carbon-rich asteroid that records the earliest history of our solar system, and which may contain the raw ingredients of life. Related pages
Bennu Orbit Insertion
Dec. 31st, 2018
Read moreOn December 31, 2018, OSIRIS-REx completed its Preliminary Survey of asteroid Bennu and entered into orbit. Complete transcript available.Music provided by Killer Tracks: Pose dans la tess (instrumental), Ties that BindWatch this video on the OSIRIS-REx mission YouTube channel. On December 31, 2018, OSIRIS-REx completed its Preliminary Survey of asteroid Bennu and entered into orbit. Bennu measures only half a kilometer in diameter, making it the smallest world ever to be orbited by a spacecraft. OSIRIS-REx will spend the Orbital A phase learning to navigate in Bennu’s low gravity, which must be balanced against other small forces acting on the spacecraft (like solar radiation pressure), and it will transition from stellar navigation to landmark-based navigation. When OSIRIS-REx completes the Orbital A phase in March 2019, it will begin its Detailed Survey of Bennu. Learn more about Bennu orbit insertion. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages
Asteroid Bennu: Selecting Site Nightingale
Feb. 27th, 2020
Read moreAfter 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
OSIRIS-REx Mission Arrives at Asteroid Bennu
Dec. 2nd, 2018
Read moreOSIRIS-REx mission team members capture the excitement of arriving at asteroid Bennu. Music provided by Killer Tracks: Distant Echoes, Game Show Sphere 9Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. Asteroids are the leftover building blocks of the solar system. These remnants from the dawn of planet formation may have delivered organics and water to early Earth, and could even hold clues to the origins of life. Now, a NASA mission called OSIRIS-REx has arrived at near-Earth asteroid Bennu. It will map and study the small body in great detail, and return a piece of Bennu to Earth in 2023. The discoveries of OSIRIS-REx will shed light on our solar system’s ancient history, and help pave the way for future exploration of other small bodies. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages