NASA’s Asteroid Heist: The Challenges of TAG
- Visualizations by:
- Walt Feimer and
- Kel Elkins
- Produced by:
- Dan Gallagher
- View full credits
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NASA's Asteroid Heist: The Challenges of TAG.
Universal Production Music: "Avenger" by Max Cameron Concors; "Fight for Earth" by Peter Nickalls
Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.
For More Information
See NASA.gov
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Animators
- Walt Feimer (KBRwyle) [Lead]
- Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle)
- Bailee DesRocher (USRA)
- Jacquelyn DeMink (USRA)
- James Tralie (ADNET)
- Jonathan North (KBRwyle)
- Josh Masters (Freelance)
- Krystofer Kim (KBRwyle)
Visualizers
- Kel Elkins (USRA) [Lead]
- Ernie Wright (USRA)
Editor
- James Tralie (ADNET)
Interviewees
- David A. Lorenz (SGT)
- Michael Moreau (NASA/GSFC)
- Nayi Castro (KBRwyle)
Art director
- Michael Lentz (KBRwyle)
Producers
- Dan Gallagher (KBRwyle) [Lead]
- James Tralie (ADNET)
Videographers
- John Caldwell (AIMM)
- Rob Andreoli (AIMM)
Support
- Erin Morton (The University of Arizona)
- Michael Starobin (KBRwyle)
- Nancy Neal-Jones (NASA/GSFC)
Technical support
- Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET)
Set construction
- Chris Meaney (KBRwyle)
Missions
This visualization is related to the following missions:Series
This visualization can be found in the following series:Related pages
Asteroid Bennu’s Surprising Surface Revealed by OSIRIS-REx
July 7th, 2022
Read moreWhen OSIRIS-REx touched down on asteroid Bennu, it encountered a surface of loose rocks and pebbles just barely held together by gravity.Complete transcript available.Universal Production Music: “Subsurface” by Ben Niblett and Jon CottonWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. NO TITLES – Version for video editors. Revisit the TAG event in this narrated video and learn why asteroid Bennu’s surface is surprisingly weak.Complete transcript available.Universal Production Music: “Difficult Conversation” and “Into Motion” by Peter Larsen; “Big Data” by Dominique Dalcan; “Subsurface” by Ben Niblett and Jon Cotton; “Crypto Current” by Dominique Dalcan; “Spaceman” by RainmanWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. Version for Instagram Reels of full video.When OSIRIS-REx touched down on asteroid Bennu, it encountered a surface of loose rocks and pebbles just barely held together by gravity.Complete transcript available.Universal Production Music: “Subsurface” by Ben Niblett and Jon Cotton On October 20, 2020, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collected a sample of near-Earth asteroid Bennu. This “TAG event” revealed surprising details about Bennu’s loosely-packed surface. The spacecraft’s arm sank almost half a meter into the asteroid, far deeper than expected, confirming that Bennu’s surface is incredibly weak. During the event, OSIRIS-REx collected a handful of material and kicked up roughly six tons of loose rock. It will return its sample of Bennu to Earth in September 2023.Learn more about the surface properties of asteroid Bennu. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages
OSIRIS-REx Touches Asteroid Bennu
Oct. 21st, 2020
Read moreOSIRIS-REx touches down on asteroid Bennu at 6:08pm EDT on October 20th, 2020.Music is "Event Horizon" by Jochen Reinhold Flach of Universal Production Music.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. Captured on Oct. 20, during the OSIRIS-REx mission’s Touch-And-Go (TAG) sample collection event, this series of 82 images shows the SamCam imager’s field of view as the NASA spacecraft approaches and touches down on asteroid Bennu’s surface. The sampling event brought the spacecraft all the way down to sample site Nightingale, and the team on Earth received confirmation of successful touchdown at 6:08 pm EDT. Preliminary data show the sampling head touched Bennu’s surface for approximately 6 seconds, after which the spacecraft performed a back-away burn. For More InformationSee [https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages
OSIRIS-REx TAG Event: Real-time Animation
Oct. 19th, 2020
Read moreReal-time animation of the OSIRIS-REx Touch-And-Go (TAG) Event. This animation accurately depicts the spacecraft's journey to the surface of Bennu. On October 20, 2020, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft briefly touched down on near-Earth asteroid Bennu and collected a sample of pristine material for return to Earth. The Touch-And-Go (TAG) Event was a feat of engineering, carefully monitored by mission controllers at Lockheed Martin Space and broadcast live on NASA-TV.During the broadcast, the real-time animation above allowed viewers to follow OSIRIS-REx as it slowly maneuvered to the surface of Bennu. This animation is based on the spacecraft's nominal trajectory and an accurate 3D model of the asteroid's terrain. Broadcast playback was adjusted for the light-time delay from Bennu to Earth (plus signal processing), providing viewers with a real-time window onto the TAG Event.Highlights can be found at the following animation time steps (hours: minutes: seconds):00:29:03 - First move to Y-Wing configuration00:34:29 - Second move to Y-Wing configuration00:39:54 - Y-Wing configuration complete00:43:27 - Checkpoint engine burn start00:54:34 - Matchpoint engine burn start01:05:10 - TOUCH asteroid Bennu01:05:18 - Back-away engine burn start01:06:43 - Begin slew to Pegasus configurationAnimation frames are organized into chapters for ease of download. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages
Sample Asteroid Bennu in 360
Oct. 16th, 2020
Read moreExperience the TAG sample collection event in 360.Music is "Fight for the Kingdom" from Enrico Cacace and Lorenzo Castellarin of Universal Production Music.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission, OSIRIS-REx, will make a daring attempt to “TAG” asteroid Bennu on Oct. 20 – touch its surface and collect a sample for return to Earth. Experience the sample collection event in 360 and watch as OSIRIS-REx contacts the rocky surface of sample site Nightingale on Asteroid Bennu. 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 "What If?" Scenarios: Animations
Oct. 20th, 2020
Read more"Wave Off" Scenario "Tip Over" Scenario "Boulder" Scenario "Pile of Rocks" Scenario Space exploration is notoriously difficult. Getting to the surface of an asteroid and backing away in one piece requires planning for lots of stuff that could go wrong. This resource page provides animations of various "What if?" scenarios that OSIRIS-REx could encounter on its way to the surface of asteroid Bennu. OSIRIS-REx is NASA's first asteroid-sample return mission. Its goal is to study Bennu and return a sample to Earth in 2023.All animations available in 4K Ultra HD resolution. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages
OSIRIS-REx TAG Event: Animations
Oct. 19th, 2020
Read moreThe Checkpoint burn sends OSIRIS-REx toward sample site Nightingale. SamCam imaging sequence, from Checkpoint to Matchpoint, simulating one frame per minute. The Matchpoint burn zeroes out OSIRIS-REx's horizontal velocity relative to site Nightingale, so that the spacecraft does not tip over during TAG. SamCam imaging sequence, from Matchpoint to TAG, simulating one frame every 15 seconds. OSIRIS-REx will use an onboard Hazard Map to autonomously determine whether it is safe to touch down on Bennu's rocky surface at the predicted point of contact. After OSIRIS-REx touches down on Bennu, it will fire nitrogen gas into the surface to stir up and capture loose material, then it will back away to a safe distance from the asteroid. The TAGSAM mechanism will fire nitrogen gas into Bennu's surface, creating a reverse vacuum in order to capture small rocks and dust inside the sampler head. After touching Bennu's surface for only a few seconds, OSIRIS-REx will fire its thrusters and back away to a safe distance with its precious cargo. This media resource page provides animations of the OSIRIS-REx Touch-And-Go (TAG) event. OSIRIS-REx is NASA's first asteroid-sample return mission. Its goal is to study near-Earth asteroid Bennu and return a sample to Earth in 2023. The primary sample site for TAG is a small crater called Nightingale, which is surrounded by large boulders that could pose a hazard to the spacecraft.All animations available in 4K Ultra HD resolution. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages
OSIRIS-REx – Detailed Global Views of Asteroid Bennu
Sept. 20th, 2020
Read moreLooping 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
OSIRIS-REx Sampling Area to Scale: Animations
Sept. 9th, 2020
Read moreOverhead view of OSIRIS-REx at sample site Nightingale, with a parking lot for comparison.Credit: NASA/Goddard/CI Lab/University of Arizona Surface-level view of OSIRIS-REx at sample site Nightingale, with a parking lot for comparison.Credit: NASA/Goddard/CI Lab/University of Arizona OSIRIS-REx is NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission. Its main science goal is to collect a sample of near-Earth asteroid Bennu for return to Earth in 2023. These animations show a size comparison of the planned sample collection area before arriving at Bennu (orange), and after arriving at Bennu (blue). The original mission plan envisioned a sample site with a diameter of 164 feet (50 m). However, the sampling region for site Nightingale is approximately 26 ft (8 m) in diameter. The area safe enough for the spacecraft to touch is the width of a few parking spaces. For More InformationSee [asteroidmission.org](https://www.asteroidmission.org/nightingalesamplingarea/) Related pages
OSIRIS-REx TAG Events
Oct. 19th, 2020
Read moreOSIRIS-REx Mission Support Area - TAG Sequence and CelebrationB-ROLL OSIRIS-REx TAG Event: NASA's First Asteroid Sample Collection Attempt Live Broadcast - October 20, 2020Watch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel. OSIRIS-REx Post TAG BriefingLive Broadcast - October 21, 2020Watch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel. OSIRIS-REx, which is about the size of a 15-passenger van, is currently orbiting the asteroid Bennu 200 million miles from Earth. Bennu contains material from the early solar system and may contain the molecular precursors to life and Earth’s oceans. The asteroid is about as tall as the Empire State Building and could potentially threaten Earth late in the next century, with a 1‐in‐2,700 chance of impacting our planet during one of its close approaches. OSIRIS-REx is now ready to take a sample of this ancient relic of our solar system and bring its stories and secrets home to Earth. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages