On December 5, 2020, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Hayabusa 2 The mission sent home a capsule containing debris from the nearby Earth’s asteroid (NEA) 162173 Ryugu. This was the culmination of the first six years of space exploration, which began in December, 2014 and began with Ryugu in June 2018. While the probe is looking at its new targets, scientists will be busy analyzing the Ryugu sample.
One thing they saw immediately after the shell opened on Monday (December 21)Std) Was the black sandy dust that drew the outer shell of the capsule. According to a statement issued by JXA, black sand is a material taken from the surface of Raigun. Considering what is inside the sample chamber A, it seems that the amount of material obtained by Hayabusa 2 Is more significant than the previous idea.
The discovery comes a week after the mission’s re-entry capsule returned to Earth. That and the specimen it contained were recovered on December 6, 2020, after entering the atmosphere at Woomera, Australia, and forming a bright streak in the sky. By December 8, the capsule was delivered to the JAXA Sagamihara campus, where technicians began the process of carefully removing the sample.
December 14M, The agency confirmed in a statement that a collection of black sand grain samples was found in the sample container. They apparently became attached to the entrance to the sample catcher, the container in which the samples were stored. JAXA also published a picture of what sooty content looks like (shown above). As they said:
“JXA has confirmed that the samples taken from the asteroid Ryugu are inside the sample container. We were able to confirm black, sand-like particles that are believed to have been taken from the asteroid Ryugu. We will continue our work to open the sample-catcher in the sample container. Extraction and analysis of its sample will be carried out.“
A day later, JXAA issued two statements. The first revealed confirmation that the samples received actually came from the asteroid Ryugu. The second statement shared the results of the analysis on the gas that was also present in the sample container. After conducting mass spectrometry testing at the Quick Look Facility (QLF) – which was established in Dec December.M20 2020 at Woomera local headquarters – JX has confirmed that the gas came from an asteroid.
To confirm the preliminary results, a similar analysis was conducted on December 10 at the Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center (ESCUC) at the JXA Sagamihara Campus.M And 11M. These tests yielded a similar result, showing that the gas was actually the result of material obtained as part of a rye sample that was submitted during transport back to Earth.
This is the first time that the material inside the deep-space object has been included in the sample return, not to mention the material of the aerated state. The JXA also indicated in its second statement that the analysis team would continue to examine gaseous samples and conduct a “detailed analysis of the molecular and isotopic composition of the collected gas.”
In the meantime, JXA “will continue to open the B and C sample chambers inside the sample container, and the sample will be removed and analyzed by the curation group and the preliminary analysis team.” These samples contained both surface dust and antique material from below the surface that was kicked out by the effect removed from the probe (which was essentially an anti-tank warhead).
While in orbit around Rayugu, Haibusa 2 also deployed four small rovers – including the MAScott and the Minerva-2. Including MASCOT and Minerva-2 to investigate and analyze the geological context of the collected samples. Due to their minimal gravity and extremely uneven surface involvement, these rovers were designed to navigate their way instead of relying on legs, wheels or trails.
These samples are our first glimpse of the sample-return mission that has been in the works for six years and beyond. Hayabusa Mission – which presented with the asteroid Itokawa in September 2005 and returned to Earth by June 2010. Then and now, the purpose of this mission is to study the remaining material in the formation of the solar system (from the asteroids that are needed). ).
In addition to revealing things about the early period of the solar system, the surface and interior of these asteroids, the previous billion. There is also a record of its subsequent evolution over billions of years. To get a sample of Ryuguna, Hayabusa 2 Going beyond Earth’s orbit, NEA had to travel about 300 km (200 million miles) from Earth together with Ryugu.
Once all samples of Hibusa 2 have been removed and analyzed, half of them will be shared between JXA, NASA and other international organizations. The rest will be kept for future study, as it allows for more detailed analysis and study to move forward in technology. Meanwhile, Haibusa 2 is now moving towards modesty with its next goals as part of its mission extension.
The expansion was offered in September 2020 to include the Tholin-rich (red colored) asteroid 2001 CC21 and the water-rich NEA 1998 KY.26, Which is believed to be composed of the content of multiple asteroids colliding in the past. The probe will make flybys of these asteroids in July 2026 and July 2031 (respectively).
In addition to revealing things about the history of our solar system, these icy asteroids can tell us how water was distributed to planets millions of years ago (thus making life possible)!
Further reading: Phys. Org, JXA
