NASA’s Asteroid Heist: The Challenges of TAG

The video discusses the Osiris Rex mission to asteroid Bennu, highlighting unexpected surface observations, challenges in selecting a sample site, and the eventual choice of Nightingale. It details the TAG event for sample collection, contingency plans for potential issues, and the process of verifying the collected sample. The mission is described as exciting and groundbreaking, with the goal of returning samples to Earth for scientific study.

What were the initial expectations regarding the surface of Bennu before approaching it?

Describe the challenges faced by the Osiris Rex spacecraft while navigating around Bennu.

What is the purpose of the tag event in the sample collection process?

What contingency plans are in place if the first attempt to collect a sample at Nightingale is unsuccessful?

Explain the process that will be followed to verify if a proper sample has been collected.