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When sunlight strikes a rotating asteroid, the dayside heats up; as the asteroid turns, the night side cools and releases the heat, exerting a small thrust that can change the asteroid's direction over time. In order to learn more about this process on asteroid Bennu, NASA is sending a spacecraft called OSIRIS-REx to make detailed observations of Bennu's shape, brightness, and surface features. These factors are thought to influence the Yarkovsky effect, and understanding how will enable scientists to better predict the orbit of Bennu and other near-Earth asteroids.
The animation was produced in an 8 x 3 aspect ratio at a resolution of 5760 x 2160 and is available in its full resolution, 4K Ultra HD, 1080HD and 720HD versions in both a letterboxed and a 16 x 9 cropped format.
Final commands sent to OSIRIS REx: Go for Touch-And-Go (TAG) Command Sequence
Location: Lockheed Martin Space, Mission Support Area, Littleton, Colorado
Credit: Lockheed Martin
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.
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.
This page provides interviews with NASA scientists discussing the Earth Gravity Assist, OSIRIS-REx, and its journey to Bennu and back.
Scientists:
Dr. Jim Garvin / NASA Goddard Chief Scientist
Dr. Christina Richey / OSIRIS-REx Deputy Program Scientist
Dr. Michelle Thaller/ NASA Scientist
Scientists:
Dr. Jim Green / Director, NASA Planetary Science Division
Dr. Ellen Stofan / NASA Chief Scientist
Dr. Jim Garvin / NASA Goddard Chief Scientist
Dr. Lucy McFadden / NASA Scientist
Dr. Geronimo Villanueva/ NASA Scientist [Interviews in Spanish]
Dante Lauretta / OSIRIS-REx Principal Investigator
Jason Dworkin / OSIRIS-REx Project Scientist
Tim Haltigin / OSIRIS-REx Canadian Mission Manager