OSIRIS-REx TAG Event: Animations
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- Visualizations by:
- Adriana Manrique Gutierrez,
- Jonathan North, and
- Walt Feimer
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- Directed by:
- Michael Lentz
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- Produced by:
- Dan Gallagher
- View full credits
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 Information
See NASA.gov
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab
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Animators
- Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) [Lead]
- Jonathan North (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) [Lead]
- Walt Feimer (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) [Lead]
- Krystofer Kim (KBRwyle)
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Art director
- Michael Lentz (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) [Lead]
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Producers
- Dan Gallagher (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) [Lead]
- James Tralie (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
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Technical support
- Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
Missions
This visualization is related to the following missions:Related pages
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ID: 20381 Animation
OSIRIS-REx Sample Return: Animations
Read moreRide along with OSIRIS-REx on the thrilling finale of its journey to Bennu and back.Universal Production Music: “Rise to the Challenge” by Daniel Marantz and Michael James Burns, Raydia Music library [PRS]; “Fragments of Time” by Timothy Robert Shortell, Scores of Hypersonic Music [BMI]Watch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel. ||
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ID: 20360 Animation
Thirty Seconds on Asteroid Bennu: Animation
Read moreData-driven animation showing how the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft impacted asteroid Bennu's surface when it touched down and collected a sample. ||
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ID: 20324 Animation
OSIRIS-REx "What If?" Scenarios: Animations
Read more"Wave Off" 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. ||
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ID: 20326 Animation
OSIRIS-REx TAG Event: Real-time Animation
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. ||
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ID: 4862 Visualization
TAG Event – Visualizations
Read moreThis visualization depicts the OSIRIS-REx TAG on October 20, 2020. The OSIRIS-REx satellite is represented by an orange dot and trail. The visualization begins with the satellite’s departure from orbit and continues through the checkpoint, matchpoint, TAG, and backaway maneuvers. || On Oct. 20, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will perform the first attempt of its Touch-And-Go (TAG) sample collection event. This series of maneuvers will bring the spacecraft down to site Nightingale, a rocky area 52 ft (16 m) in diameter in Bennu’s northern hemisphere, where the spacecraft’s robotic sampling arm will attempt to collect a sample. Site Nightingale was selected as the mission’s primary sample site because it holds the greatest amount of unobstructed fine-grained material, but the region is surrounded by building-sized boulders. During the sampling event, the spacecraft, which is the size of a large van, will attempt to touch down in an area that is only the size of a few parking spaces, and just a few steps away from some of these large boulders.During the 4.5-hour sample collection event, the spacecraft will perform three separate maneuvers to reach the asteroid’s surface. The descent sequence begins with OSIRIS-REx firing its thrusters for an orbit departure maneuver to leave its safe-home orbit approximately 2,500 feet (770 meters) from Bennu's surface. After traveling four hours on this downward trajectory, the spacecraft performs the “Checkpoint” maneuver at an approximate altitude of 410 ft (125 m). This thruster burn adjusts OSIRIS-REx’s position and speed to descend steeply toward the surface. About 11 minutes later, the spacecraft performs the “Matchpoint” burn at an approximate altitude of 177 ft (54 m), slowing its descent and targeting a path to match the asteroid's rotation at the time of contact. The spacecraft then descends to the surface, touches down for less than sixteen seconds and fires one of its three pressurized nitrogen bottles. The gas agitates and lifts Bennu’s surface material, which is then caught in the spacecraft’s collector head. After this brief touch, OSIRIS-REx fires its thrusters to back away from Bennu’s surface and navigates to a safe distance from the asteroid. ||
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ID: 20323 Animation
OSIRIS-REx Sampling Area to Scale: Animations
Read moreOSIRIS-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. ||
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ID: 4771 Animation
OSIRIS-REx – Asteroid Bennu Sample Site Flyovers
Read moreGlobal view of asteroid Bennu with insets of the four candidate sample collection sites. This animation is available in Hyperwall resolution (5760x3240).This video is also available on our YouTube channel. || 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.In mid-2019, mission planners identified four candidate sample collection sites, and named them after birds that can be found in Egypt: Osprey, Kingfisher, Nightingale, and Sandpiper. In December 2019, mission planners announced that they had selected Nightingale as the primary sample collection site, and Osprey as the backup. Late in 2020, OSIRIS-REx will descend to Bennu's surface and collect a sample of pristine material from the origins of the solar system that will be studied on Earth for decades to come.The 3D animations on this page were created using laser altimetry data and imagery of Bennu taken by OSIRIS-REx. The animations are available in Hyperwall resolution (5760x3240). ||
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ID: 14179 Produced Video
Asteroid Bennu’s Surprising Surface Revealed by OSIRIS-REx
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. || 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. ||
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ID: 13744 Produced Video
OSIRIS-REx Post-TAG Briefing
Read moreNASA 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. ||
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ID: 13741 Produced Video
OSIRIS-REx TAG Events
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. ||
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ID: 13730 Produced Video
NASA’s Asteroid Heist: The Challenges of TAG
Read moreNASA's Asteroid Heist: The Challenges of TAG. Universal Production Music: "Avenger" by Max Cameron Concors; "Fight for Earth" by Peter NickallsWatch 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. Sample site Nightingale, the mission’s targeted touch down spot, is only a few parking spaces wide and surrounded by building-sized boulders that pose a hazard to OSIRIS-REx. The spacecraft will carefully navigate down to the sample site with its sampling arm extended and touch Bennu’s surface for several seconds. Upon contact, the collector head will fire a bottle of nitrogen gas to agitate loose material, which is then caught in the spacecraft’s collector head. After this brief touch, OSIRIS-REx will fire its thrusters to back away from Bennu, navigating to a safe distance from the asteroid. The spacecraft will depart Bennu in 2021 and deliver the sample to Earth on Sep. 24, 2023. ||
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ID: 13729 Produced Video
Tour of Asteroid Bennu
Read moreTake a narrated tour of asteroid Bennu’s remarkable terrain. Complete transcript available.Universal Production Music: “Timelapse Clouds” by Andy Blythe and Marten Joustra; “The Wilderness” by Benjamin James Parsons; “Maps of Deception” by Idriss-El-Mehdi Bennani, Olivier Louis Perrot, and Philippe Andre VandenhendeWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. ||
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ID: 10960 Produced Video
OSIRIS-REx Animations
Read moreTHIS PAGE FEATURES OLDER CONTENT FOR OSIRIS-REx. NEWER CONTENT IS AVAILABLE ON THE OSIRIS-REx GALLERY. || An overview video of the OSIRIS-REx mission. || The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft apporaches asteroid Bennu. || Another view of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft approaching asteroid Bennu. || OSIRIS-REx performs remote sensing observations of asteroid Bennu. || OSIRIS-REx deploys its Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechansim (TAGSAM) instrument. || OSIRIS-REx collects a sample of asteroid Bennu. || Exterior view of OSIRIS-REx collecting a sample of asteroid Bennu with its Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM). ||
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