"Hayabusa2" capsule - asteroid gas detected, also black sand grains

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

(Source: CNN)

「はやぶさ２」のカプセル、小惑星のガス検出　黒い砂粒も

2020.12.16 Wed posted at 18:03 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 宇宙航空研究開発機構（ＪＡＸＡ）の探査機「はやぶさ２」が小惑星「リュウグウ」から持ち帰ったカプセルの気体は、リュウグウ由来と確認された。

はやぶさ２がリュウグウで昨年２月と７月に実施した試料採取の成功を裏付ける第一歩となった。

はやぶさ２から分離されたカプセルは、今月６日にオーストラリア南部に着地。ＪＡＸＡのチームが回収し、７日に現地で中のガスの予備分析を行った。さらに日本への搬送後、１０～１１日にＪＡＸＡ相模原キャンパスでも詳しく調べた。

その結果、地球の大気とは組成が違うことが確認された。研究チームは今後さらに開封と分析作業を進める。

チームはさらに、カプセルの中に黒い砂粒が入っていることも確認した。

カプセルの試料は来年末までに、世界各地の計６チームと共有される。

中にはリュウグウで採取された砂が１グラムほど入っていると考えられる。ＪＡＸＡ宇宙科学研究所の藤本正樹氏は、少ないように聞こえるかもしれないが、私たちにとって１グラムは大変な量だと話した。

リュウグウのような小惑星には有機物や水が含まれ、これが地球に衝突して生命の起源となった可能性が指摘されている。試料の分析は生命誕生のなぞ解明につながることが期待される。

Translation

(CNN) It ​​was confirmed that the gas in the capsule brought back from the asteroid "Ryugu" by the spacecraft "Hayabusa2" of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was derived from Ryugu.

Hayabusa2 supported the first step towards the success in the getting samples at Ryugu in February and July last year.

The capsule separated from Hayabusa2 landed in southern Australia on the 6th of this month. The JAXA team collected the capsule and conducted a preliminary analysis of the gas inside it on the 7th. Furthermore, after being transported to Japan, a detailed examination would be conducted at the JAXA Sagamihara Campus on the 10th to 11th.

As a result, it was confirmed that the composition was different from that of the Earth's atmosphere. The research team will proceed with further opening the seals and doing analysis work in the future.

The team also confirmed that there were black sand grains in the capsule.

Capsule samples would be shared with a total of six teams around the world by the end of next year.

Inside the capsule, it was thought that it contained about 1 gram of sand collected from Ryugu. Masaki Fujimoto of the JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science said that one gram was a huge amount for them, although it might sound small.

It was pointed out that asteroids such as Ryugu contained organic matter and water, which might have collided with the Earth and had the possibility to become the origin of life. Analysis of samples was expected to lead to the elucidation of the mystery of the birth of life.

Comments

              So, Japan has successfully sent a craft to a flying asteroid and take back one gram of soil sample back to earth in a capsule. This capsule was separated from Hayabusa2 and landed in southern Australia. Now Hayabusa2 has already returned to space for its next mission. Through this mission Japan has showed its capability to "interrupt" a asteroid if its orbit is deemed to be a threat to earth.

              In almost the same period, China has also brought back pounds of soil sample from the moon. The treatment of these samples by these two countries shows a marked difference. Japan chooses to share it with other countries for research purpose while China is going to keep it to itself.

(Source: BBC)