NASA’s Asteroid Heist: The Challenges of TAG

NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission, OSIRIS-REx, will make a daring attempt to “TAG” asteroid Bennu on Oct. 20 – touch its surface and collect a sample for return to Earth. Sample site Nightingale, the mission’s targeted touch down spot, is only a few parking spaces wide and surrounded by building-sized boulders that pose a hazard to OSIRIS-REx. The spacecraft will carefully navigate down to the sample site with its sampling arm extended and touch Bennu’s surface for several seconds. Upon contact, the collector head will fire a bottle of nitrogen gas to agitate loose material, which is then caught in the spacecraft’s collector head. After this brief touch, OSIRIS-REx will fire its thrusters to back away from Bennu, navigating to a safe distance from the asteroid. The spacecraft will depart Bennu in 2021 and deliver the sample to Earth on Sep. 24, 2023. Music: "Avenger" by Max Cameron Concors and "Fight for Earth" by Peter Nickalls, via Universal Production Music Video credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Lead Producer: Dan Gallagher (USRA) Producer: James Tralie (ADNET) Editor: James Tralie (ADNET) Animators: James Tralie (ADNET) Krystofer Kim (USRA) Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (USRA) Bailee DesRocher (USRA) Jacquelyn DeMink (USRA) Jonathan North (USRA) Josh Masters (Freelance) Lead Animator: Walt Feimer (KBRwyle) Videographers: Rob Andreoli (AIMM) John Caldwell (AIMM) Set Construction: Chris Meaney (KBRwyle) Art Director: Michael Lentz (USRA) Lead Visualizer: Kel Elkins (USRA) Visualizer: Ernie Wright (USRA) Interviewees: Nayi Castro (KBRwyle) Michael Moreau (NASA/GSFC) David A. Lorenz (SGT) Technical Support: Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET) Support: Erin Morton (The University of Arizona) Nancy Neal-Jones (NASA/GSFC) Michael Starobin (KBRwyle)