Live at PATS With OSIRIS REx!

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: A live Planetary Radio episode from PATS in Pasadena spotlighted OSIRIS-REx, the science and navigation behind returning samples from near-Earth asteroid 1999 RQ36 (Bennu), and the public contest to rename it. Guest Steve Chesley explained orbit determination, mission planning, and asteroid deflection relevance, while Bruce Betts highlighted amateur astronomers' growing role in tracking hazardous objects. The show also touched on the Shuttle Endeavour’s final flight and a night-sky update.

Main Topics: OSIRIS-REx mission overview and sample return goals (Priority: 5/5): The hosts introduced OSIRIS-REx as a major asteroid sample-return mission that will rendezvous with 1999 RQ36 in 2018 and return samples to Earth in 2023, using a touch-and-go collection method. Why 1999 RQ36 is a scientifically valuable target (Priority: 5/5): Chesley and Betts explained that the asteroid is carbonaceous and primitive, making it a window into early solar system material and possibly the origin of organic compounds. Asteroid orbit determination and impact risk (Priority: 5/5): Chesley described how precise orbit modeling, relativity, and the Yarkovsky effect are needed to predict the asteroid’s path; the object has possible late-2100s Earth-impact routes and requires continued monitoring. Naming contest for the asteroid (Priority: 4/5): Bruce Betts outlined a contest for kids 17 and under to submit a proposed name and short essay, with the goal of replacing the technical designation with a more usable name. Amateur astronomers and near-Earth object tracking (Priority: 4/5): The episode emphasized the contribution of amateur observers and Planetary Society grant recipients to discovery, follow-up observations, and characterization of near-Earth asteroids. Mission context: Stardust, Deep Impact, and spacecraft navigation (Priority: 3/5): Chesley connected OSIRIS-REx to prior missions, especially Stardust NEXT and Deep Impact, to illustrate how navigation, flybys, and unexpected dust behavior inform mission planning. Live event features and night sky update (Priority: 2/5): The show included audience interaction, a sky guide from Bruce Betts, a trivia contest, and mention of Endeavour’s final shuttle flight and NASA’s broader exploration plans.

Key Arguments: OSIRIS-REx was chosen because 1999 RQ36 is both scientifically primitive and sufficiently well characterized to support a safe, high-value sample-return mission. The asteroid is potentially hazardous, but the mission is also valuable for planetary defense because it will refine the orbit and improve future impact predictions. Precise orbit work now requires advanced modeling, including general relativity from both the Sun and Earth and the Yarkovsky thermal effect. Asteroid deflection using a kinetic impactor is plausible if discovered early enough; nuclear options are unnecessary unless warning time is short. Amateur astronomers now make real contributions to NEO discovery and follow-up, and their observations are important to keeping orbital solutions current. The sample-return strategy is a brief touch-and-go contact: the spacecraft samples with a gas-assisted collector and returns the material to Earth without landing. The long cruise back to Earth is dictated by celestial mechanics and the need to wait for the correct orbital alignment for Earth return.

Data Points: Launch year: 2016 - OSIRIS-REx was described as launching in 2016 to begin its journey to the asteroid. Asteroid rendezvous year: 2018 - The spacecraft was expected to reach 1999 RQ36 in October 2018. Sample return year: 2023 - The mission was expected to return samples to Earth in 2023. Asteroid diameter: Approximately 0.5 km - Chesley described 1999 RQ36 as about half a kilometer across. Known asteroids in catalog: Something like half a million - Used to explain the winnowing process for selecting an accessible sample-return target. Accessible primitive asteroids: A half dozen or so - Chesley said only a few primitive asteroids are realistically accessible for this type of mission. Orbit precision: Within about 10 km - Current predictions place the asteroid’s position at rendezvous to within roughly 10 kilometers. Years between Deep Impact and Stardust NEXT flyby: 5.5 years - Stardust NEXT revisited Tempel 1 after Deep Impact to observe the crater. Amateur grant program age: 15 years - The Planetary Society was celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Gene Shoemaker Near Earth Object Grant Program. Grant recipients supported: More than 30 - The program had funded over 30 mostly amateur astronomers worldwide. Countries represented: 15-16 countries - Grant recipients were said to come from about 15 to 16 countries. Potentially hazardous object example: 2012 DA14 - Mentioned as an asteroid discovered by a grant recipient with a very close 2013 flyby. Discovery follow-up issue: Late 2100s - 1999 RQ36 was said to have possible collision routes in the late 2100s.

Pivotal Quotes: "Let's homestead space, everyone." — Bill Nye: A rhetorical line tying the American frontier to future space exploration during his discussion of NASA’s exploration plans. "We call it a touch and go." — Bruce Betts: He explained the OSIRIS-REx sampling method as a brief contact maneuver using a collector on a robotic arm. "The frontier is over our heads." — Bill Nye: A summary statement connecting the spirit of exploration to space.

Implications: The episode framed asteroid sample return and NEO tracking as both science and planetary defense. Listeners learn that precise observations, amateur participation, and early detection are key to future impact mitigation and exploration.