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The Japanese Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully detached a capsule and sent it toward Earth to deliver samples from a distant asteroid that could provide clues to the origin of the solar system and life on our planet.
Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency said the capsule was successfully dislodged Saturday afternoon 220,000 km (136,700 miles) away in a challenging operation that required precision control. The capsule is now descending to land in a remote and sparsely populated area of Woomera, Australia, on Sunday.
Hayabusa2 left the asteroid Ryugu, about 300 million kilometers (180 million miles) away, a year ago. After the capsule is released, it now moves away from Earth to capture images of the capsule descending to the planet.
Yuichi Tsuda, project manager for the Jaxa space agency, stood up and raised his fists as everyone clapped as the command center officials confirmed the capsule’s successful separation.
Hayabusa2’s return with the world’s first asteroid subsurface samples comes weeks after NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully sampled the surface of the asteroid Bennu. Meanwhile, China announced this week that its lunar lander collected samples underground and sealed them inside the spacecraft to return to Earth, while developing space nations compete on their missions.
Many Hayabusa2 fans gathered to observe the moment of the capsule’s separation at public viewing events across the country, including one at Tokyo Dome.
In the early hours of Sunday, the capsule, protected by a heat shield, will briefly turn into a fireball when it re-enters the atmosphere at 120 kilometers (75 miles) above Earth. Approximately 10 km (6 miles) above the ground, a parachute will open to slow your fall and beacon signals will be transmitted to indicate your location.
Jaxa personnel have installed satellite dishes at various locations in the target area to receive the signals, while also preparing marine radar, drones and helicopters to assist in the search and recovery of the 40 cm (15 inches) in diameter. .
Trevor Ireland, an expert on space rocks at the Australian National University, who is in Woomera for the capsule’s arrival, said he expected the Ryugu samples to be similar to the meteorite that fell in Australia near Murchison in the state of Victoria. more than 50 years ago.
“The Murchison meteorite opened a window on the origin of organic compounds on Earth because these rocks were found to contain simple amino acids as well as plenty of water,” Ireland said.
“We will examine whether Ryugu is a potential source of organic matter and water on Earth when the solar system was forming, and whether they still remain intact on the asteroid.”
Scientists say they believe the samples, especially those taken below the asteroid’s surface, contain valuable data that is unaffected by space radiation and other environmental factors. They are particularly interested in analyzing organic materials in samples.
Jaxa hopes to find clues about how materials are distributed in the solar system and how they relate to life on Earth.
For Hayabusa2, it is not the end of the mission that began in 2014. After dropping the capsule, it will return to space and head to another small distant asteroid called 1998KY26 on a 10-year one-way trip, for a possible research that includes finding ways to prevent meteorites from hitting Earth.
