WEBVTT FILE

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.629
[music throughout] Over 200 million miles away from Earth,

2
00:00:04.629 --> 00:00:06.631
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft

3
00:00:06.631 --> 00:00:11.177
is preparing for an ambitious sample collection attempt at asteroid Bennu.

4
00:00:11.177 --> 00:00:15.140
Before it makes its approach to the rocky surface,

5
00:00:15.140 --> 00:00:19.019
let’s take a look back at some of the incredible firsts for this mission,

6
00:00:19.019 --> 00:00:21.980
which almost seem like something out of a Hollywood movie…

7
00:00:21.980 --> 00:00:26.735
This is the first asteroid sample return mission for NASA,

8
00:00:26.735 --> 00:00:29.112
and it could be the largest sample returned from space

9
00:00:29.112 --> 00:00:32.657
since the Apollo astronauts brought Moon samples back to Earth.

10
00:00:32.657 --> 00:00:35.243
While getting set to grab a sample, OSIRIS-REx

11
00:00:35.243 --> 00:00:38.663
has set not one, but two Guinness World Records.

12
00:00:38.663 --> 00:00:41.708
Its first for the smallest ever body orbited

13
00:00:41.708 --> 00:00:45.211
and its second for the closest orbit of a spacecraft.

14
00:00:45.211 --> 00:00:48.757
This tight orbit has brought the spacecraft so close to Bennu

15
00:00:48.757 --> 00:00:52.218
that OSIRIS-REx’s onboard cameras and laser altimeter

16
00:00:52.218 --> 00:00:57.724
have been able to image and characterize the asteroid’s surface and shape better than Earth,

17
00:00:57.724 --> 00:00:58.683
our own moon,

18
00:00:58.683 --> 00:01:01.352
or any other celestial body.

19
00:01:01.352 --> 00:01:07.859
It has imaged Bennu down to 5 centimeter per pixel resolution,

20
00:01:07.859 --> 00:01:13.782
providing us with an unprecedented view into this rocky, and boulder-filled world.

21
00:01:13.782 --> 00:01:19.704
With 28 on-board thrusters, OSIRIS-REx is one of the most maneuverable spacecrafts.

22
00:01:19.704 --> 00:01:23.583
This allows it to carefully and precisely descend to a spot on Bennu

23
00:01:23.583 --> 00:01:26.252
that is no larger than a few parking spaces.

24
00:01:26.252 --> 00:01:29.798
There have certainly been some unexpected twists along the way;

25
00:01:29.798 --> 00:01:32.926
however, OSIRIS-REx has capitalized on these moments…

26
00:01:32.926 --> 00:01:35.970
Right after arriving at the asteroid, OSIRIS-REx imaged

27
00:01:35.970 --> 00:01:38.973
rocky ejecta that has been bursting off Bennu.

28
00:01:38.973 --> 00:01:42.102
This is the first timewe have been able to observe the entire lifecycle

29
00:01:42.102 --> 00:01:44.437
of a natural satellite ejecting off an object,

30
00:01:44.437 --> 00:01:48.024
entering into orbit, and returning back to the surface.

31
00:01:48.024 --> 00:01:50.610
Because of Bennu’s extremely rocky surface,

32
00:01:50.610 --> 00:01:53.905
the team needed to adapt the spacecraft’s navigation method

33
00:01:53.905 --> 00:01:58.201
to an optical approach known as Natural Feature Tracking, or NFT.

34
00:01:58.201 --> 00:02:00.829
This is the first time this approach has been used in space –

35
00:02:00.829 --> 00:02:05.500
and it will allow OSIRIS-REx to steer itself down to collect a sample from Bennu.

36
00:02:05.500 --> 00:02:11.548
And now OSIRIS-REx is looking to set another first for NASA

37
00:02:11.548 --> 00:02:17.595
successfully collect a sample of an asteroid – and deliver it to Earth by 2023.