>> EVER SINCE NASA SPACECRAFT MET UP WITH AN ASTEROID IT’S BEEN BUSY CIRCLING THE NEW
MILLIONS OF MILES AWAY FROM
EARTH.
>> SERVICE REX LAUNCHED FROM
OUR SPACE GOES BACK IN 2016 AND
IS CURRENTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF A
SEVEN YEAR SAMPLING RETURN
MISSION.
AND AS THE TEAM IS READY TO
REVEAL AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE.
>> JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT
THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY IS
UCF PHYSICS PROFESSOR WHO
SPECIALIZES IN ASTEROID STUDY.
SO TELL US A LITTLE BIT OF
BACKGROUND FOR PEOPLE WHO DO
NOT KNOW ABOUT OSIRIS REX AND
WHITE SO EXCITING.
>> NASA PICKED US TO BUILD AND
LAUNCH THE SPACECRAFT.
WE LAUNCHED FROM KENNEDY SPACE
CENTER THREE YEARS AGO AND IT
ARRIVED AT THE ASTEROID A YEAR
AGO.
WE HAVE BEEN MAPPING IT SINCE
IN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND ALL
ABOUT THE SURFACE AND PICK THE
IDEAL SPOT FOR THE SPACECRAFT
TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE SAMPLING
SAFELY.
AND ORIGINALLY WE THOUGHT WE
WOULD HAVE LONG FLAT AREAS
WHERE THERE WOULD BE NO ROCKS
IN THE NAVIGATION TEAM WOULD BE
ABLE TO BRING THE SPACECRAFT
EASILY ONTO A SURFACE AND PICK
UP THE SAMPLE AND HEAD BACK TO
EARTH.
IT TURNS OUT THE ASTEROID IS A
LOT ROCKIER THAN WE EXPECTED.
SO INITIALLY THE NAVIGATION
TEAM SAID BLEEDING TO AN AREA
150 FEET ACROSS TO BRING DOWN
THE SPACECRAFT SAFELY.
I QUICKLY TOLD HIM THERE’S NO
SUCH PLACE AND THEY SAID THE
SPACECRAFT IS NAVIGATING SO
WELL THAT WE CAN DO IT IN HALF
THAT SIZE BUT NO SUCH PLACE.
SO WHAT DO YOU HAVE A HE SAID
WELL, THE BIGGEST AREA IS ABOUT
30 FEET ACROSS SURROUNDED BY
BIG BOULDERS AS YOU WILL SEE IN
THIS VISUAL THAT WAS PROVIDED
BY THE SPACE AGENCY.
SO THE CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY
BUILT AN INSTRUMENT THAT IS ON
BOARD OSIRIS REX AND PART OF
OUR TEAM.
AND WITH IT THEY’VE DONE A VERY
DETAILED MAP OF THE SERVICE OF
THE ASTEROID AND IS VERY, VERY
ROCKY WITH IT WE CAN SELECT
WHICH OF THESE AREAS ARE MOST
APPROPRIATE FOR THE MANEUVER.
AND SO RIGHT NOW THERE ARE FOUR
AREAS AND WE’VE NARROWED IT
DOWN TO FOUR.
>> YOU LOOK AT THEM ON THE
SCREEN.
>> AND LOOK AT HOW ROUGH THAT
SURFACE IS.
SO THAT IS 10 METERS, ABOUT 30
FEET ACROSS.
AND THAT IS WHERE WE NEED TO
BRING THE SPACECRAFT SAFELY.
IN THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THESE
FOUR IS ANOTHER 10 METER.
LOOK AT THE SIZES OF THOSE
ROCKS.
AS A MATTER FACT THIS ONE ON
THE RIGHT RECALL MOUNT DOOM
FROM LORD OF THE RINGS BECAUSE
IF WE WERE HIT TO ROCK IT BE
THE END OF THE MISSION.
SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL.
SO WE CHANGED THE WAY IN WHICH
THE SPACECRAFT WILL APPROACH
THE ASTEROID.
INITIALLY WE TITLES THAT WILL
COME DOWN BUT NOW THE
VERIFICATION TEAM ASSUMES IT
COMPLETELY.
SPACECRAFT WILL GO DOWN TO THE
PRIMARY AND BACKUP SITE AND MAP
THEM IN DETAIL.
AND THAT IS IF THE SITE WILL BE
COMPARING THE IMAGES THAT THE
CAMERAS TAKING WITH THE ONES ON
THE MAP AND IF IT’S GOING
TOWARDS THE RIGHT PART WILL
CORRECTIONS IT WILL MAKE THEM.
AND IF IT LOOKS LIKE THOSE
CORRECTIONS ARE NOT A KNIFE AND
HEADED TOWARDS ONE OF THOSE
ROCKS IT WILL WAIVE OFTEN TRIED
AGAIN.
SO MUCH MORE COMPLICATED
APPROACH PROCESS THAN WE
THOUGHT BECAUSE GIVING US THE
SURPRISES.
>> WHEN YOU GO AND TAKE THE
SAMPLE THIS IS A FIVE SECOND
GRAPH.
>> CORRECT.
>> WHAT CAN WE GET IN FIVE
SECONDS AND WHAT WILL WE LEARN
WHEN IT FINALLY MAKES ITS WAY
BACK HERE AND WHAT WE HOPING
ABOUT WHAT IT WILL BRING BACK.
BUT THE MAIN SCIENTIFIC
JUSTIFICATION FOR THIS MISSION
IS TO BRING BACK ORGANIC
MOLECULES THAT MAY TELLERS HOW
LIFE FORMS ON EARTH AND HOW IT
MAY HAVE FORMED ON MARS AND THE
MOONS OF JUPITER AND MAY BE
PLANETS AROUND OTHER STARS.
THE ORIGIN OF LIFE HERE ON
EARTH AND ELSEWHERE IS THE MAIN
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF THE
MISSION.
THE MAIN PRACTICAL REASON FOR
THE MISSION IS BECAUSE THIS
ASTEROID IS POTENTIALLY
HAZARDOUS GREAT LET ME EXPLAIN.
IT IS NOT THREATENING EARTH
RIGHT NOW BUT IT MAY DO SO IN
160 YEARS.
SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DEFLECT IT
WE NEED TO KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT
THIS ASTEROID IS POSSIBLE AND
HOPEFULLY WE WILL NOT HAVE TO.
BUT AS INDIVIDUALS WE DON’T
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS.
THE CHANCES OF THIS ASTEROID OR
ANOTHER ONE HEADING EARTH WHILE
WE ARE ALIVE ARE BASICALLY
KNOWN.
BUT AS A SOCIETY WE MUST
BECAUSE IMPACTS BIG ENOUGH TO
WIPE OUT CIVILIZATION HAS
HAPPENED AND THEY WILL HAPPEN
AGAIN UNLESS WE DEFLECT AN
INCOMING ASTEROID SO WE SHOULD
LEARN FROM THE DINOSAURS.
>> WE DON’T WANT TO BE THE
DINOSAURS.
>> HOW BIG?
>> ABOUT FIVE BLOCKS ACROSS AN
IMPACT WOULD CREATE SUCH A
LARGE WEATHER CHANGE IT WOULD
CAUSE A WINTER THAT WOULD LAST
SEVERAL YEARS AND ALL THE CROPS
WOULD FAIL AND CIVILIZATION
WOULD ESSENTIALLY COLLAPSE
GRADE THIS WOULD BE FROM THE
EQUATOR TO THE POLLS THROUGHOUT
THE PLANET.
SO WE DON’T WANT THAT.
>> NO WE DON’T.
>> IN THE PROCESS WE ARE
LEARNING A LOT ABOUT THE ORIGIN
OF ASTEROIDS AND OF THE SOLAR
SYSTEM AND HOPEFULLY BUT THE
ORIGIN OF LIFE AND WATER ON
EARTH AND EVENTUALLY WE WILL BE
PRODUCING FUEL FOR MISSIONS FOR
MARS.
SO THE COMMERCIAL USE FOR THE
SUBJECT IS NOT THAT FAR OFF.
>> THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT.
11:00 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME.
>> THE AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL
MEETING IN SAN FRANCISCO THEY
WILL ANNOUNCE WHICH OF THESE
FOUR SITES WILL BE THE PRIMARY
AND WHICH WILL BE THE BACKUP.
>> YOU ALREADY KNOW THE RIGHT?
>> I HAVE A FAVORITE BUT I DO
NOT THINK THAT IS THE ONE THEY
WILL PICK.
>> I LOVE THAT YOU HAVE A
FAVORITE.
[LAUGHTER]
FAVORITE. [LAUGHTER] >> INCORPORATED YOU SO MUCH FOR
BEING HERE AND I HOPE YOU
WELCOME BACK AND VISIT US AND
KEEP US UPDATED.
>> THE SAMPLING IS HAPPENING