NOVA

Touching the Asteroid

Directed by Terri Randall
TV-PG
S47 • E14    Oct 21, 2020    55m
7.9
In October 2020, a NASA spacecraft called OSIRIS-REx attempts to reach out and grab a piece of an asteroid named Bennu to bring it back to Earth. The OSIRIS-REx team has just three chances to extend its spacecraft’s specialized arm, touch down for five seconds, and collect material from the surface of Bennu. But if they can pull it off, scientists could gain great insight into Earth’s own origins—and even learn to defend against rogue asteroids that may one day threaten our planet. (Premiering October 21, 2020 at 9 pm on PBS)

Where to Watch NOVA - S47 • E14

  • Coralie AdamSelf - OSIRIS-REx OpNav Lead
  • Maitrayee BoseSelf Cosmochemist - Arizone State University
  • Daniella DellaGiustinaSelf - OSIRIS-REx Image Processing Lead - University of Arizona
  • Sandra FreundSelf - OSIRIS-REx Mission Operations Manager - Lockheed Martin
  • Vicky HamiltonSelf - OSIRIS-REx Spectroscopy Lead - Southwest Research Institute
  • Carl HergenrotherSelf - OSIRIS-REx Astronomy Working Group Lead - University of Arizona
  • David JewittSelf - Astronomer - UCLA
  • Dante LaurettaSelf - OSIRIS-REx Principal Investigator - University of Arizona
  • Patrick MichelSelf - Research Director - CNRS
  • Mike MoreauSelf - OSIRIS-REx Deputy Project Manager - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
  • Derrick PittsSelf - Chief Astronomer - The Franklin Institute
  • Anjani PolitSelf - OSIRIS-REx Senior Systems Engineer - University of Arizona
  • Bashar RizkSelf - OSIRIS-REx Camera Scientist - University of Arizona
  • Craig SechlerSelf - Narrator
  • Seiji SugitaSelf - Hayabusa2 Optical Navigation Investigator - University of Tokyo
  • Paul SánchezSelf - Physicist - University of Colorado
  • Yuichi TsudaSelf - Hayabusa2 Project Manager - Jaxa
  • Makoto YoshikawaSelf Hayabusa2 Mission Manager - Jaxa
  • Terri RandallDirector / Writer / Producer
  • Alex ClarkProducer

 

  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   

Take Plex everywhere

Watch free anytime, anywhere, on almost any device.
See the full list of supported devices