How Far Did OSIRIS-REx Plunge Into Asteroid Bennu

On October 20, 2020, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collected a sample of near-Earth asteroid Bennu. This “TAG event” revealed surprising details about Bennu’s loosely-packed surface. The spacecraft’s arm sank almost half a meter into the asteroid, far deeper than expected, confirming that Bennu’s surface is incredibly weak. During the event, OSIRIS-REx collected a handful of material and kicked up roughly six tons of loose rock. It will return its sample of Bennu to Earth in September 2023.

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/CI Lab
Dan Gallagher (KBRwyle): Producer
Jonathan North (KBRwyle): Animator
Kel Elkins (USRA): Data Visualizer
Dante Lauretta (The University of Arizona): Lead Scientist
Kevin Walsh (SwRI): Scientist
Ronald Ballouz (JHUAPL): Scientist
Olivier Barnouin (JHUAPL): Scientist
Rani Gran (NASA/GSFC): Public Affairs Officer
Nancy Neal-Jones (NASA/GSFC): Public Affairs Officer
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET): Technical Support

Universal Production Music: “Subsurface” by Ben Niblett and Jon Cotto