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JAXA
After the Japanese space agency JAXA opened the Hayabusa 2 (Falcon 2) return capsule, it initially confirmed that it had obtained approximately 1 ~ 2g of asteroid samples from Ryugu (Ryugu), plus some gas with “different composition from the earth”. This is roughly ten times the originally expected 0.1 ~ 0.2g sample size and at the same time far exceeds the 0.001g brought in by Hayabusa 1 by the asteroid Itokawa in 2010.
Hayabusa 2 spent 16 months observing Ryugu from 2018 to 2019 and took two landing samples. After that, she left Ryugu and dropped the return capsule containing the samples as she passed through the land, while Hayabusa 2 herself continued Journey, go to other goals. The return capsule landed in the Australian desert as expected and was taken by JAXA scientists to a temporary laboratory set up in Australia.
The particles in the image above are from sample room “A” of the return cabin. It is believed that the material obtained during the first landing was sampled and the material from the second landing was in sample room “C”. In addition, JAXA also confirmed that there is a gas in the sample room with a composition different from that of the earth, it can be inferred that it was collected at the same time as the sample rather than being contaminated by the earth. Also, there are very few black particles scattered around the periphery of the sample chamber, which are believed to be from Ryugu.
Once all the sample chambers have been opened and the weight measured, JAXA will begin analyzing the samples using microscopes, infrared rays, and other equipment. We will have a preliminary understanding of the sample composition early next year, and JAXA hopes to share the sample with NASA and other space agencies by the end of next year.
The sample container inside the re-entry capsule was opened on December 14 and we confirmed that there were black beans that were thought to be from Ryugu. This is outside the main chambers and particles are likely adhering to the inlet of the sampler. (English release available tomorrow) https://t.co/NAw1R1cjvy pic.twitter.com/5BfXxfH29h
– HAYABUSA2 @ JAXA (@ haya2e_jaxa) December 14, 2020
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