OSIRIS-REx Sample Site Selection Trailer

NASA's mission to collect samples from asteroid Bennu is its most ambitious since the Apollo program. After a two-year journey, including a gravity assist from Earth, the spacecraft arrived at Bennu. Initially seen as tiny pixels, Bennu revealed itself as a rugged world with giant boulders. The spacecraft mapped Bennu in unprecedented detail, and the mission team analyzed the data to select the best sample site. With months to go before collection, the team narrowed down to four potential sites.

What was the primary goal of NASA's mission to asteroid Bennu?

• To collect samples from the asteroid

• To study the asteroid's atmosphere

• To observe the asteroid's orbit

• To establish a human base on the asteroid

What significant event helped the spacecraft reach asteroid Bennu?

• A lunar flyby

• A meteor shower

• A gravity assist from Earth

• A solar flare

How did the spacecraft gather detailed information about Bennu?

• By sending a rover to the surface

• By mapping it with onboard instruments

• By using telescopes on Earth

• By landing on the asteroid

What was surprising about Bennu's surface as observed by the spacecraft?

• It had active volcanoes

• It was covered in ice

• It was rugged and littered with boulders

• It was smooth and flat

How many potential sample sites were selected by the mission team?

• Two

• Four

• Six

• Eight