Japanese space probe's gifts: Asteroid chips like charcoal

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This optical microscope photo provided Thursday shows soil samples, seen
inside C compartment of the capsule brought back by Hayabusa2, in
Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture. Photo: JAXA via AP
Tech

Japanese space probe's gifts: Asteroid chips like charcoal
Dec. 25 06:20 am JST 15 Comments
By MARI YAMAGUCHI
TOKYO
They resemble small fragments of charcoal, but the soil samples
collected from an asteroid and returned to Earth by a Japanese space
probe were hardly disappointing.

The samples Japanese space officials described Thursday are as big as
one centimeter and rock hard, not breaking when picked up or poured into
another container. Smaller black, sandy granules the spacecraft
collected and returned separately were described last week.

The Hayabusa2 spacecraft got the two sets of samples last year from two
locations on the asteroid Ryugu, more than 300 million kilometers (190
million miles) from Earth. It dropped them from space onto a target in
the Australian Outback, and the samples were brought to Japan in early
December.

The sandy granules the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency described last
week were from the spacecraft's first touchdown in April 2019.

The larger fragments were from the compartment allocated for the second
touchdown on Ryugu, said Tomohiro Usui, space materials scientist.

To get the second set of samples in July last year, Hayabusa2 dropped an
impactor to blast below the asteroid's surface, collecting material from
the crafter so it would be unaffected by space radiation and other
environmental factors.

Usui said the size differences suggest different hardness of the bedrock
on the asteroid. “One possibility is that the place of the second
touchdown was a hard bedrock and larger particles broke and entered the
compartment."

JAXA is continuing the initial examination of the asteroid samples ahead
of fuller studies next year. Scientists hope the samples will provide
insight into the origins of the solar system and life on Earth.
Following studies in Japan, some of the samples will be shared with NASA
and other international space agencies for additional research.

Hayabusa2, meanwhile, is on an 11-year expedition to another small and
distant asteroid, 1998KY26, to try to study possible defenses against
meteorites that could fly toward Earth.

© Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
without permission.
This photo provided Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020, by the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA), shows soil samples, seen inside the A
compartment of the capsule brought back by Hayabusa2, in Sagamihara,
near Tokyo. Japanese space officials said Thursday they found more
asteroid soil samples collected and brought back from the Hayabusa2
spacecraft, in addition to black sandy granules they found last week,
raising their hopes of finding clues to the origins of the solar system.
(JAXA via AP)


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15 Comments Login to comment

Bob FosseDec. 25 08:29 am JST
That’s a pretty amazing achievement. If we know what meteorites are made
of we can be better prepared to defend against them. It must be a great
relief to Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck.

0( +3 / -3 )

noriahojanenDec. 25 09:06 am JST
Following studies in Japan, some of the samples will be shared with NASA
and other international space agencies for additional research.

The amount is sufficient for global redistribution or circulation across
major research labs for further analysis.

4( +4 / -0 )

SpeedDec. 25 10:00 am JST
Got a strange hankering for a BBQ.

4( +4 / -0 )

starpunkDec. 25 10:34 am JST
Bob FosseToday 08:29 am JST

That’s a pretty amazing achievement. If we know what meteorites are made
of we can be better prepared to defend against them. It must be a great
relief to Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck.

We already know what meteors are made of, some of them land on Earth if
they don't burn up in the atmosphere. This is an asteroid here, and
chances against one hitting Earth is zillions to one. And that 1998
movie was inaccurate and just plain awful.

1( +4 / -3 )

Bob FosseDec. 25 10:56 am JST
We already know what meteors are made of, some of them land on Earth if
they don't burn up in the atmosphere. This is an asteroid here, and
chances against one hitting Earth is zillions to one. And that 1998
movie was inaccurate and just plain awful.

Final paragraph:

Hayabusa2, meanwhile, is on an 11-year expedition to another small and
distant asteroid, 1998KY26, to try to study possible defenses against
meteorites that could fly toward Earth.

I didn’t say it was a good movie. It’s godawful I agree.

4( +4 / -0 )

FarmboyDec. 25 11:06 am JST
SpeedToday 10:00 am JST

Got a strange hankering for a BBQ.

Clearly the aliens liked to grill.

6( +6 / -0 )

OxycodinDec. 25 12:21 pm JST
Oh bummers all that time and money all for charcoal.

1( +2 / -1 )

hmdrpthkDec. 25 01:41 pm JST
Too expensive coal imported from 300 million km.

0( +1 / -1 )

marcelitoDec. 25 03:26 pm JST
Pretty cool achievement indeed.

2( +2 / -0 )

SlickdrifterDec. 25 06:51 pm JST
Yeah ship good. Very good I love rocks. I do not have anything to
contribute in the giant dead alien arena.

Prometheus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zricpqq6jA

Expect new minerals off the periodic time table. Wanna bet the find Cobalt?

1( +1 / -0 )

commanteerDec. 25 09:13 pm JST
JAXA return to the office after the holidays, meet some co-workers who
stayed over.

"We had a great barbecue while you guys were on holiday. Thanks for
leaving us that charcoal."

"We didn't leave any charcoal...."

0( +1 / -1 )

Thomas Robert MountcastleDec. 25 09:39 pm JST
Commanteer: My vote for best today! Another, "wish I had thought of
that", post.

0( +0 / -0 )

Nelson ChuaDec. 25 10:25 pm JST
Landing on a fast moving target, extracting samples and bringing them
back to Earth....amazing is an understatement. It's a remarkable
achievement in a league of its own! Go JAXA!

0( +0 / -0 )

gokai_wo_manekuDec. 25 11:02 pm JST
"like charcoal" Are there any scientists out there? Isn't charcoal a
carbon based material, which implies it was made by or is the remnants
of primitive living creatures?

0( +0 / -0 )

Peter NeilDec. 25 11:14 pm JST
"Like" charcoal. Are there any English teachers out there? Isn't like a
word which implies it is similar to something?

0( +0 / -0 )
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