[music throughout] Over 200 million miles away from Earth,
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft
is preparing for an ambitious sample collection attempt at asteroid Bennu.
Before it makes its approach to the rocky surface,
let’s take a look back at some of the incredible firsts for this mission,
which almost seem like something out of a Hollywood movie…
This is the first asteroid sample return mission for NASA,
and it could be the largest sample returned from space
since the Apollo astronauts brought Moon samples back to Earth.
While getting set to grab a sample, OSIRIS-REx
has set not one, but two Guinness World Records.
Its first for the smallest ever body orbited
and its second for the closest orbit of a spacecraft.
This tight orbit has brought the spacecraft so close to Bennu
that OSIRIS-REx’s onboard cameras and laser altimeter
have been able to image and characterize the asteroid’s surface and shape better than Earth,
our own moon,
or any other celestial body.
It has imaged Bennu down to 5 centimeter per pixel resolution,
providing us with an unprecedented view into this rocky, and boulder-filled world.
With 28 on-board thrusters, OSIRIS-REx is one of the most maneuverable spacecrafts.
This allows it to carefully and precisely descend to a spot on Bennu
that is no larger than a few parking spaces.
There have certainly been some unexpected twists along the way;
however, OSIRIS-REx has capitalized on these moments…
Right after arriving at the asteroid, OSIRIS-REx imaged
rocky ejecta that has been bursting off Bennu.
This is the first timewe have been able to observe the entire lifecycle
of a natural satellite ejecting off an object,
entering into orbit, and returning back to the surface.
Because of Bennu’s extremely rocky surface,
the team needed to adapt the spacecraft’s navigation method
to an optical approach known as Natural Feature Tracking, or NFT.
This is the first time this approach has been used in space –
and it will allow OSIRIS-REx to steer itself down to collect a sample from Bennu.
And now OSIRIS-REx is looking to set another first for NASA
successfully collect a sample of an asteroid – and deliver it to Earth by 2023.