OSIRIS-REx Science and Engineering Briefing
- Produced by:
- James Tralie
- View full credits
The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft will travel to the asteroid’s surface during its first sample collection attempt Oct. 20. Its sampling mechanism will touch Bennu’s surface for several seconds, fire a charge of pressurized nitrogen to disturb the surface, and collect a sample before the spacecraft backs away.
Participating in this mission update are:
• Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate
• Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division
• Heather Enos, OSIRIS-REx deputy principal investigator, University of Arizona, Tucson
• Kenneth Getzandanner, OSIRIS-REx flight dynamics manager, Goddard
• Beth Buck, OSIRIS-REx mission operations program manager, Lockheed Martin Space, Littleton, Colorado
For more information, go to nasa.gov/osiris-rex or asteroidmission.org
1. Zurbuchen - OSIRIS-REx Overview
Top Left: OSIRIS-REx Launching from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 411 rocket on September 8, 2016 at 7:05 pm EDT.
Top Right: Image of Bennu was taken by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.
Center: Image of sample site Nightingale Crater, OSIRIS-REx’s primary sample collection site on asteroid Bennu, overlaid with a graphic of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to illustrate the scale of the site.
Bottom Left: Image of OSIRIS-REx’s SamCam imager’s field of view as the NASA spacecraft approaches asteroid Bennu’s surface, taking during the second dress rehearsal for sample collection on August 11, 2020.
Bottom Center: Illustration of trajectory and configuration of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft during Checkpoint rehearsal, which was the first time the mission practiced the initial steps of collecting a sample from asteroid Bennu.
Bottom Right: Image of Sierra Gonzalez, Lockheed Martin Systems Engineer, taken April 14, 2020 during the four-hour rehearsal of the Checkpoint maneuver in which OSIRIS-REx came within 125 meters (410 feet) of Bennu’s surface.
Credits: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/ Lockheed Martin/United Launch Alliance
1. Glaze - Asteroid missions and sample return
Top Left: Apollo sample processors (from left to right) Andrea Mosie, Charis Krysher and Juliane Gross open lunar sample 73002 at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The Moon rocks inside this tube have remained untouched since they were collected on the surface and brought to Earth by Apollo astronauts nearly 50 years ago.
Top Right: Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 lunar module pilot, collects lunar rake samples at Station 1 during the mission's first spacewalk at the Taurus-Littrow landing site.
Center: Illustration showing NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft descending towards asteroid Bennu to collect a sample of the asteroid’s surface.
Bottom Left: Illustration of NASA’s DART spacecraft prior to impact at the Didymos binary system.
Bottom Center: Illustration of NASA’s Lucy spacecraft performing a flyby of a Jupiter Trojan.
Bottom Right: Illustration of NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft with Five-Panel Array.
Credits: NASA/Goddard/JPL-Caltech / Arizona State University/University of Arizona/Johns Hopkins APL/Space Systems Loral/James Blair/Steve Gribben/Peter Rubin
5. Buck - Nightingale Sampling Area to Scale
This artist concept animation shows 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.
Credit: NASA/Goddard/CI Lab
6. Buck - TAG "What If?" Scenario - Descent onto a Hazard
During its descent to site Nightingale, OSIRIS-REx could encounter several hazardous scenarios that would prevent it from collecting a sample of asteroid Bennu on its first attempt, including: Wave-Off, TAG on a boulder, and TAG on rocks.
Credit: NASA/Goddard/CI Lab
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Animators
- Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle)
- Bailee DesRocher (USRA)
- Jacquelyn DeMink (USRA)
- Jonathan North (KBRwyle)
- Lisa Poje (Freelance)
- Michael Lentz (KBRwyle)
- Walt Feimer (KBRwyle)
Data visualizer
- Kel Elkins (USRA)
Graphic designers
- Heather Roper (The University of Arizona)
- Joshua Handal (ASRC Federal System Solutions)
Presenters
- Beth Buck (Lockheed Martin)
- Heather Enos (University of Arizona)
- Kenny Getzandanner (NASA/GSFC)
- Lori S. Glaze (NASA/HQ Planetary Science)
- Nancy Neal-Jones (NASA/GSFC)
- Thomas H. Zurbuchen (NASA/HQ)
Producers
- James Tralie (ADNET) [Lead]
- Dan Gallagher (KBRwyle)
Support
- Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET)
- Erin Morton (The University of Arizona)
Public affairs officer
- Nancy Neal-Jones (NASA/GSFC)
Missions
This visualization is related to the following missions:Related pages
OSIRIS-REx Post-TAG Briefing
Oct. 21, 2020, 1:09 p.m.
Read more1. Lauretta - TAG Movie 1Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona || NASA is hosting a press briefing on Oct. 21 to unveil new videos of the OSIRIS-REx sample collection attempt.The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft unfurled its robotic arm on Oct. 20, and in a first for the agency, briefly touched an asteroid to collect dust and pebbles from the surface for delivery to Earth in 2023.This well-preserved, ancient asteroid, known as Bennu, is currently more than 200 million miles (321 million kilometers) from Earth. Bennu offers scientists a window into the early solar system as it was first taking shape billions of years ago and flinging ingredients that could have helped seed life on Earth. If the sample collection event, known as “Touch-And-Go” (TAG), provided enough of a sample, mission teams will command the spacecraft to begin stowing the precious primordial cargo to begin its journey back to Earth in March 2021. || 2. Lauretta - TAG Movie 2Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona || 3. Lauretta - TAG Movie 3Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona || 1. Burns - TAGSAM ExplainedOSIRIS-REx descended to the surface of asteroid Bennu to collect a sample of fine-grained material from site Nightingale using its TAGSAM instrument.Credit: NASA/Goddard/CI Lab || 2. Burns - Nightingale Hazard Map and TAG LocationCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona || 3. Burns - BackawayAfter collecting the sample of Bennu, OSIRIS-REx fired its thrusters and backed away to a safe distance from the asteroid.Credit: NASA/Goddard/CI Lab/SVS || 1. Freund - Sample Imaging VerificationOSIRIS-REx will use its SamCam instrument to visually inspect the TAGSAM head and verify sample collection.Credit: NASA/Goddard/CI Lab || 2. Freund - Sample Mass MeasurementTo measure the mass of the collected sample, OSIRIS-REx will extend its TAGSAM arm and perform a spin maneuver.Credit: NASA/Goddard/CI Lab || 1. BridenstineNASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. Credit: NASA || 1. ZurbuchenNASA Science Associate Administrator Dr. Thomas H. Zurbuchen. Credit: NASA
OSIRIS-REx TAG Events
Oct. 19, 2020, 8 p.m.
Read moreOSIRIS-REx Mission Support Area - TAG Sequence and CelebrationB-ROLL || 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. || 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.