NASA Science Live: OSIRIS-REx - X Marks the Spot (Episode 13)
- Produced by:
- Emily Furfaro
- View full credits
NASA Science Live: OSIRIS-REx - X Marks the Spot [Episode 13]
Air Date: December, 12, 2019
Watch this video on the ScienceAtNASA YouTube channel.
For More Information
See NASA.gov
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Graphic designer
- Matthew Schara (National Institute of Aerospace)
Graphics
- Dan Gallagher (KBRwyle)
Editor
- Michael Randazzo (AIMM)
Host
- Grey Hautaluoma (NASA/HQ)
Talents
- Daniella DellaGiustina (The University of Arizona/LPL)
- Dante Lauretta (The University of Arizona)
- Lori S. Glaze (NASA/HQ Planetary Science)
- Michael Moreau (NASA/GSFC)
Director
- Rich Melnick (KBRwyle)
Producer
- Emily Furfaro (MORI Associates) [Lead]
Technical directors
- John Caldwell (AIMM)
- Seth Robinson (National Institute of Aerospace)
Associate producers
- Jessica Wilde (National Institute of Aerospace)
- Scott Bednar (National Institute of Aerospace)
Videographers
- Caleb Stern (National Institute of Aerospace)
- James Tralie (ADNET)
Advisor
- Fred A. Brown (NASA/HQ)
Floor director
- David L. Shelton (National Institute of Aerospace)
Video engineer
- Pat Kennedy (KBRwyle)
Missions
This visualization is related to the following missions:Related pages
OSIRIS-REx – Detailed Global Views of Asteroid Bennu
Sept. 20th, 2020
Read moreLooping animation of asteroid Bennu rotating. This 3D model of Bennu was created using 20cm resolution laser altimetry data and imagery taken by OSIRIS-REx. Looping animation of sunlight sweeping across the surface of Bennu. This 3D model of Bennu was created using 20cm resolution laser altimetry data and imagery taken by OSIRIS-REx. Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu. The Nightingale sample site is visible in the northern hemisphere. Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu. The Nightingale sample site is visible in the northern hemisphere. Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu Print resolution (5760x3240 pixels) still image of Bennu 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 3D animations on this page were created using laser altimetry data and imagery of Bennu taken by OSIRIS-REx.The Bennu albedo map was generated using images acquired by PolyCam during Baseball Diamond Flyby 1. The images were photometrically normalized to represent the innate albedo of Bennu’s surface. Details for the creation of the map can be found in the forthcoming publication “A High-Resolution Normal Albedo Map of Asteroid (101955) Bennu” by Golish et al. Icarus (2020). Polar regions that were not imaged in Flyby 1 are visualized using the Bennu global basemap, created from PolyCam images acquired during Baseball Diamond Flybys 3 and 4. Details for the creation of the basemap can be found in “A high-resolution global Basemap of (101955) Bennu” by Bennett et al. Icarus (2020). Related pages
Asteroid Bennu: Selecting Site Nightingale
Feb. 27th, 2020
Read moreAfter a year of studying asteroid Bennu, the OSIRIS-REx mission chose a location called “Nightingale” as the primary sample collection site.Universal Production Music: “Extreme Measures” by John Sands and Marc Ferrari, “Ice Echoes” by Dominik Luke Marsden Johnson, “Look at the Mirror” by Jonathan FigoliWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. Thermal map of asteroid Bennu OSIRIS-REx is a NASA mission to explore near-Earth asteroid Bennu and return a sample to Earth. Prior to arriving at Bennu, mission planners had expected the asteroid’s surface to consist largely of fine particulate material, similar to gravel. When OSIRIS-REx arrived in December 2018, however, it was greeted by a rocky world covered with boulders.This unexpected ruggedness means that there are few places on Bennu where OSIRIS-REx can safely touch down and collect a sample. After a year of studying the asteroid, the mission announced a primary sample collection site, which they designated “Nightingale,” along with a backup site called “Osprey.” In October 2020, OSIRIS-REx will descend to Bennu and attempt to collect up to four-and-a-half pounds of loose material, for return to Earth in 2023.Learn more about the selection of sample site Nightingale. In the thermal map above, asteroid Bennu’s surface temperatures dramatically change from the night side to the day side, experiencing swings of 270 degrees Fahrenheit. The time that it takes for an object to heat up or cool down is determined by its thermal inertia — a property that can be useful in the remote study of planetary bodies.Fine particulate materials like sand or gravel tend to heat up and cool down quickly (low thermal inertia), while solid objects like rocks and boulders do so more slowly (high thermal inertia). By observing how a distant body like Bennu changes temperature over the course of a day, scientists can usually infer the average size of particles on its surface.Before OSIRIS-REx arrived, scientists had observed that Bennu’s surface heats up and cools down relatively quickly, leading them to predict a mean particle size of about 2-3cm. OSIRIS-REx, however, was greeted by a predominantly rocky asteroid, littered with giant boulders. This discrepancy is one of the major surprises of the OSIRIS-REx mission. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages
OSIRIS-REx – Global Model of Asteroid Bennu
Feb. 26th, 2020
Read moreLooping animation of asteroid Bennu rotating. This 3D model of Bennu was created using 20cm resolution laser altimetry data and imagery taken by OSIRIS-REx. Short clip of the northern hemisphere of Bennu. This 3D model of Bennu was created using 20cm resolution laser altimetry data and imagery taken by OSIRIS-REx. Short clip of the southern hemisphere of Bennu, highlighting a large boulder nicknamed "BenBen." This 3D model of Bennu was created using 20cm resolution laser altimetry data and imagery taken by OSIRIS-REx. Short clip of the equatorial region of Bennu. This 3D model of Bennu was created using 20cm resolution laser altimetry data and imagery taken by OSIRIS-REx. 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.The 3D animations on this page were created using laser altimetry data and imagery of Bennu taken by OSIRIS-REx. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages
OSIRIS-REx: X Marks the Spot - 2019 AGU Press Conference
Dec. 12th, 2019
Read moreClose-up images of the OSIRIS-REx sample site candidates on asteroid Bennu.Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 1. Glaze - Common Themes for Small Bodies ResearchCredit: NASA-HQ 2. Glaze - Bennu global mosaic and sample site candidatesCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 1. Lauretta - Bennu global mosaic and sample site candidates (ibid)Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 2. Lauretta - Bennu sample site candidate close-upsCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 3. Lauretta - The OSIRIS-REx primary sample site, NightingaleCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 4. Lauretta - The OSIRIS-REx primary sample site, Nightingale. The center of the site is marked with an X, and a silhouette of the spacecraft is added for scale.Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 5. Lauretta - 3D flyover animation of the OSIRIS-REx primary sample site, NightingaleCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/CSA/York University/MDA 6. Lauretta - The OSIRIS-REx backup sample site, OspreyCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 7. Lauretta - The OSIRIS-REx backup sample site, Osprey. The center of the site is marked with an X, and a silhouette of the spacecraft is added for scale.Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 8. Lauretta - 3D flyover animation of the OSIRIS-REx backup sample site, OspreyCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/CSA/York University/MDA 1. DellaGiustina - Bennu global image mosaicCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 2. DellaGiustina - Bennu global image mosaic, with primary and backup sample sites labeledCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 3. DellaGiustina - The OSIRIS-REx primary and backup sample sitesCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 4. DellaGiustina - The "sampleability" map for Sites Nightingale and Osprey, showing the location of sampleable material at each site. Blue regions correspond to high sampleability, while red regions correspond to low sampleability.Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 1. Moreau - Animation of OSIRIS-REx collecting a sample of BennuCredit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center 2. Moreau - Size comparison of the planned sample collection safe zone before arriving at Bennu (orange), and after arriving at Bennu (blue). The safe zone for Site Nightingale is no wider than a few parking spaces. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 3. Moreau - This image shows sample site Nightingale overlaid with a simplified hazard map. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft uses this map to autonomously detect surface hazards, such as boulders or rocks, while it descends to collect a sample. The green illustrates areas that are free of hazards, and means the spacecraft will continue to the surface. Yellow demonstrates cautionary areas, and red areas contain the most hazards. If the spacecraft predicts it will touch either a yellow or red area, it will stop its descent and back away.Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona 4. Moreau - OSIRIS-REx Sample Acquisition Campaign scheduleCredit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona Data visualization of asteroid Bennu and the OSIRIS-REx sample site candidates.Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/CSA/York University/MDA NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission announced its primary and backup sample collection sites on asteroid Bennu, at a press conference hosted during AGU’s Fall Meeting at 2 p.m. ET, Thursday, Dec. 12.The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft launched on Sept. 8, 2016, and arrived at asteroid Bennu on Dec. 3, 2018. In mid-2020, it will briefly touch down on Bennu’s surface and collect a sample for return to Earth in late 2023.The mission represents a valuable opportunity to learn more about the origins of our solar system, the sources of water and organic molecules on Earth, and the hazards and resources in near-Earth space. The briefing participants are: Lori Glaze, director of planetary science for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA HeadquartersDante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona, TucsonDani DellaGiustina, OSIRIS-REx image processing lead scientist at the University of Arizona, Tucson Mike Moreau, OSIRIS-REx deputy project manager at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center For more information, go to nasa.gov/osirisrex or asteroidmission.org For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages
OSIRIS-REx – Asteroid Bennu Sample Site Flyovers
Dec. 12th, 2019
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. Looping animation of asteroid Bennu. This animation is available in Hyperwall resolution (5760x3240).This video is also available on our YouTube channel. PRIMARY SAMPLE SITE: NIGHTINGALECloseup view of Nightingale, the primary sample collection site. Nightingale is located near Bennu’s north pole, and sits inside a 66-foot-wide crater. This animation is available in Hyperwall resolution (5760x3240).Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.This video is also available on our YouTube channel. BACKUP SAMPLE SITE: OSPREYCloseup view of Osprey, the backup sample collection site. Osprey is located just north of Bennu’s equatorial bulge, and sits inside a 66-foot-wide crater. This animation is available in Hyperwall resolution (5760x3240).Watch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel.This video is also available on our YouTube channel. Closeup view of Kingfisher, a candidate sample collection site. Kingfisher is located just north of Bennu’s equator, and is centered on a small crater surrounded by boulders. This animation is available in Hyperwall resolution (5760x3240).This video is also available on our YouTube channel. Closeup view of Sandpiper, a candidate sample collection site. Sandpiper resides in Bennu’s southern hemisphere, on the floor of a large crater. 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). For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) Related pages
OSIRIS-REx Sample Site Selection Trailer
Dec. 10th, 2019
Read moreTrailer for the sample site selection announcement for OSIRIS-REx, set to take place on December 12, 2019 at 1:00 PM EST/10:00 AM PST at AGU in San Francisco.Music is "Oceana" from Universal Production Music. On September 8, 2016 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, OSIRIS-REx began its journey – the most ambitious sample collection mission since the Apollo Program. After two years, the spacecraft arrived at its destination, asteroid Bennu. As OSIRIS-REx drew near, Bennu grew in detail from a few tiny pixels to a surprisingly rugged world, littered with giant boulders. The spacecraft has used its instrumentation to map the asteroid from all sides. The science team has been analyzing the data to select the best sample site. Now, with just months to go before sample collection, the team has narrowed its target down to four potential sites: Osprey, Kingfisher, Nightingale, and Sandpiper. Tune in to nasa.gov/live on Thursday, December 12 at 1:00 PM EST/10:00 AM PST to see the sample site selection announcement. Related pages
Surprises from Asteroid Bennu
Dec. 2nd, 2019
Read moreRecapping surprises at Bennu and achievements of the OSIRIS-REx mission before the final sample site announcement. Music is "Growing Idea" from Universal Production Music. Vertical version of the Surprises at Asteroid Bennu video. The OSIRIS-REx team has already pushed the boundaries of scientific exploration - going from ground-based radar images from Arecibo in Puerto Rico all the way to orbiting a few hundred meters from asteroid Bennu. The team is mere months away from a sample collection attempt at the asteroid surface. Before this attempt, we take a look back at some of the major achievements, surprises, and challenges of sampling an asteroid with OSIRIS-REx. Related pages
OSIRIS-REx Mission Design: Cruise and Arrival Animations
Nov. 30th, 2018
Read moreOSIRIS-REx Cruise to Bennu Stellar Navigation Bennu Arrival Extended version Bennu Arrival After launching from Earth on September 8, 2016, OSIRIS-REx spent over two years on its outbound cruise to asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft approached the asteroid in August 2018 and captured its first images of Bennu using its long-range camera, PolyCam. OSIRIS-REx officially arrived at Bennu on December 3, 2018, and began studying the asteroid in preparation for sample collection in 2020. Related pages
OSIRIS-REx Mission Design: Site Selection Campaign
Nov. 30th, 2018
Read moreBaseball Diamond Left Baseball Diamond Right Equatorial Stations Global Mapping High Resolution Mapping Regolith Close up Spectral Mapping Once OSIRIS-REx has completed its Preliminary Survey of Bennu and entered orbit, it will be ready to study the asteroid in greater detail. Its observations will help mission planners to identify candidate sample sites on Bennu – areas where it is safe to collect a sample, and which are of interest to scientists. During this phase, OSIRIS-REx will: scan Bennu from pole-to-pole, globally map its surface, take high-resolution images, and study its spectra to determine the asteroid’s mineral composition. Related pages
OSIRIS-REx Resource Page
Aug. 17th, 2016
Read moreLarge format image of OSIRIS-REx before sampling Bennu. Bennu title sequence Bennu size comparision. This page contains graphics and animation resources related to near-Earth asteroid Bennu, the target of NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission. Related pages
OSIRIS-REx Mission Design: Sample Acquisition Campaign
Aug. 17th, 2016
Read moreOSIRIS-REx approaches Bennu TAG Arm Deploy TAG Arm Deploy Reverse OSIRIS-REx desending to Bennu OSIRIS-REx approach continued TAGSAM getting closer OSIRIS-REx almost there Contact OSIRIS-REx Pulls away TAG Maneuver Interior Cutaway OSIRIS-REx backs away from Bennu Sample Verification OCAMS SamCam Sample Verification OCAMS Sam Cam 2 Sample Mass Measurement Sample Stowage Sequence Sample Stowage Sequence Closeup OSIRIS-REx Stows the TAG Arm Returning to Earth After nine months in orbit around asteroid Bennu, OSIRIS-REx will begin the process of maneuvering closer to the surface in preparation of the sample collection event. Once the sample site has been selected, OSIRIS-REx will break from its polar orbit to practice three flyovers of the site at increasing proximities, eventually matching Bennu's speed and rotation. The narrow-angle PolyCam will image the sample site at sub-centimeter resolution during these close passes.When OSIRIS-REx is ready, it will slowly descend to Bennu's surface at a few centimeters per second. Its outstretched arm will touch down and blow high-pressure nitrogen gas into Bennu's soil. This will force loose dust, dirt, and rocks upward into the TAGSAM head, trapping the material inside. OSIRIS-REx will then weigh and stow the captured sample for return to Earth in 2023. Related pages
OSIRIS-REx Bennu Mapping Animations
Aug. 17th, 2016
Read moreEdited movie of mapping animations OSIRIS-REx arrival at Bennu. Bennu reveal. Detailed survey of Bennu. OSIRIS-REx mapping Bennu. OSIRIS-REx flying over Bennu OSIRIS-REx mapping Bennu OSIRIS-REx will spend over a year orbiting and mapping asteroid Bennu in preparation of the mission's main science goal – collecting a sample of Bennu for return to Earth in 2023. Related pages
OSIRIS-REx Mission Design: Earth Return Animations
Aug. 17th, 2016
Read moreOSIRIS-REx returns to Earth with its sample of asteroid Bennu. After releasing the sample return capsule on September 24, 2023, the spacecraft will go into orbit around the Sun.Watch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel. SRC arrives back at Earth SRC seperates from OSIRIS-REx SRC heading towards Earth SRC ReEntry Heading towards landing site Parachute deploys SRC desending Touchdown Transport Sample Open Capsule On September 24, 2023, OSIRIS-REx will return its sample of asteroid Bennu to Earth. The sample return capsule will detach from the spacecraft, perform an entry, descent and landing sequence, and touch down at the UTTR facility in Utah. The Bennu samples will be taken to Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for curation, and will be studied by scientists around the world for decades to come. Related pages
Bennu's Journey Animation Resource Page
Nov. 18th, 2014
Read moreThis page contains the frames for each of the 31 shots that comprise the movie Bennu's Journey produced for the OSIRIS-REx mission. The full movie is also available. Full resolution frames for Hyperwall Bennu passing Earth Moonrise over Earth Nebula and supernova Collapsing cloud Protoplanetary Disk Chrondrule melting Chrondrules clumping Mountains to Planets Parent body Close up of Parent body ProtoPlanet Solar ignition Jupiter moves in Jupiter's wake Heavy bombardment ProtoPlanet bombardment ProtoPlanet's surface Solar system clams and cools Parent body survives bombardment Europa impact Parent body collision Bennu's formation Bennu Yarkovsky effect Resonance with Saturn Passing Mars Passing Earth Transit Venus Transit Venus closeup OSIRIS-REx arrives Related pages