Planets and Moons ID: 4744

OSIRIS-REx - Asteroid Bennu Sample Site Finalists

Visualizations by Kel Elkins Released on August 12, 2019

There is a newer version of this story located here: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4795

OSIRIS-REx is a mission to study and map near-Earth asteroid Bennu. Its primary science objective is to collect a sample of Bennu in mid 2020 and return it to Earth in late 2023. In preparation, mission planners have identified four candidate sample sites on Bennu's rocky surface where OSIRIS-REx could briefly touch down to collect its sample. The mission will down-select to the final two sites – a primary and a backup – in December 2019. Like the mythological Bennu bird for which the asteroid is named, all of the candidate sample sites refer to birds that can be found in Egypt.

Learn more about the candidate sample sites on Bennu.

UNLABELED VERSION

The visualization begins with a rotating 3D model representation of the asteroid Bennu, created using data from the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA) instrument. Four candidate sample sites are highlighted with PolyCam images.

Pictured are the four candidate sample collection sites on asteroid Bennu selected by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. Site Nightingale (top left) is located in Bennu’s northern hemisphere. Sites Kingfisher (top right) and Osprey (bottom left) are located in Bennu’s equatorial region. Site Sandpiper (bottom right) is located in Bennu’s southern hemisphere. In December 2019, one of these sites will be chosen for the mission’s touchdown event.

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

Global map of asteroid Bennu, showing the locations of the final four candidate sample sites.

Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona

Newer Versions

For More Information

NASA.gov

asteroidmission.org

Visualization Credits

Kel Elkins (USRA): Lead Animator
Dan Gallagher (USRA): Lead Producer
James Tralie (ADNET): Producer
Erin Morton (The University of Arizona): Public Affairs Officer
Nancy Neal-Jones (NASA/GSFC): Public Affairs Officer

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

Data provided by NASA/University of Arizona/CSA/York University/MDA.

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Mission:
OSIRIS-REX

Keywords:
SVS >> Asteroid
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Biosphere >> Animal Taxonomy >> Birds
SVS >> Orbit
SVS >> Hyperwall
SVS >> Solar System >> Orbits
SVS >> OSIRIS-REx
NASA Science >> Planets and Moons
SVS >> Bennu
SVS >> Transfer Orbit
SVS >> Map
SVS >> Sample Return
SVS >> Animations
SVS >> Mapping
SVS >> Maneuver
SVS >> Trajectory
SVS >> Site
SVS >> Candidate

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0