Space Mission Operations
OSIRIS-REx TAG at Bennu
OSIRIS-REx touched Bennu for seconds, used nitrogen to move loose material into a collector, and backed away without landing.
The knowledge that remained
Knowledge preserved by the event.
- 01
Brief contact reduced the demands and risks of a full landing on a small body.
- 02
A gas pulse could mobilize loose regolith into a collector in microgravity.
- 03
The authentic debris movement records sampling action, not an explosion.
The maneuver demonstrated a way to acquire material from a small body through seconds of controlled contact rather than a conventional landing.
Timeline
The engineering sequence.
- 01ConditionsOCT 20, 2020
OSIRIS-REx descends toward Bennu
The spacecraft approaches the asteroid during the real Touch-And-Go sample-collection maneuver.
- 02ActionCONTACT
The sampling head touches the surface
TAGSAM contacts Bennu for approximately six seconds; the spacecraft does not land.
- 03MechanismNITROGEN PULSE
Loose material flows around the collector
A brief gas pulse drives rock and dust toward the collection chamber.
- 04ResultBACK-AWAY
The spacecraft leaves immediately
OSIRIS-REx backs away while still flying, ending the short surface contact.
The event.
NASA's official sequence comprises 82 SamCam images from the real 20 October 2020 TAG event. The circular sampling head approaches and contacts Bennu's loose surface.
The debris that covers the camera view is nitrogen-driven regolith movement during authentic sampling, not an impact explosion.
The mechanism.
TAGSAM used a brief nitrogen pulse to mobilize regolith into a collector during seconds of contact.
TAGSAM released a brief nitrogen pulse that mobilized regolith into its collector. The spacecraft maintained flight, contacted the surface for only seconds, and then backed away.
Sources & references
Trace the evidence.
Media rights record: Use only the identified NASA flight visuals. Credit NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and retain the NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona acknowledgement. Licensed source music, visualization, and artwork are excluded.
Discovery edition
The case in under one minute.
The Short introduces the event. This archive record preserves the mechanism, evidence, and engineering lesson beyond the video.
Final editorial reviewEditorial derivatives
Editions from this case.
A portable, source-backed edition of the complete case.
The failure sequence formatted for print and classroom display.
Mechanism, consequence, and lesson in one visual system.
Discussion prompts, activities, and a structured answer guide.
The question to remember
Did OSIRIS-REx land on Bennu to collect its sample?
No. Its sampling head touched the surface for seconds, fired nitrogen to move regolith into a chamber, and the spacecraft backed away without landing.
