Transcript for OSIRIS-REx Earth Gravity Assist

[ TEXT ON SCREEN WITH MUSIC ]

OSIRIS-REx is NASA's mission to explore asteroid Bennu.

Its goal is to collect a sample of Bennu and return it to Earth.

To get to Bennu, OSIRIS-REx must first match the asteroid's orbital tilt.

In September 2017, it will approach Earth for a gravity assist,

bringing the spacecraft within 11,000 miles of home.

Following the flyby, OSIRIS-REx will look back at Earth.

It will take images and spectra of our world,

calibrating its instruments so that they are ready to study Bennu.

The gravity assist will change OSIRIS-REx's orbital tilt by six degrees,

sending it on a path to catch asteroid Bennu in 2018.