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A Japanese spacecraft is nearing the end of an epic mission in which it made the first ever collection of underground material from an asteroid in deep space.
As it approaches Earth next weekend, the Hayabusa2 probe will eject a small capsule containing the collected sample. The capsule will then travel a distance of approximately 135,000 miles before descending into the Australian outback where it will be recovered by a team of scientists.
It is hoped that the collected samples, which unlike the previously collected samples, were protected from space radiation and other environmental conditions due to its underground location, will provide scientists with new insights into the origins and evolution of the solar system. among other potential breakthroughs.
The ambitious mission, undertaken by JAXA – the Japanese equivalent of NASA – was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in the southwest of the country in December 2014.
Hayabusa2 reached asteroid Ryugu in June 2018 after a three-and-a-half-year journey that covered approximately 180 million miles.
In February 2019, the spacecraft made the first of two landings on the 900-meter-wide asteroid, collecting a sample of rocks from the surface for return to Earth via a capsule.
Preparations for the more challenging procedure to collect a sample from below Ryugu’s surface began in April when Hayabusa2 fired a two-kilogram “bullet” into the asteroid to melt the rock particles. Several months later the spacecraft made its second landing to collect the material before transferring it to the capsule.
The mission also saw JAXA deploy two small rovers on Ryugu’s surface to capture close-up images of the space rock and perform tasks such as studying its composition and measuring its surface temperature.
With the mission now in its final stages, all eyes are on December 6 when the capsule, which is just 40 centimeters in diameter, is expected to descend into the Australian outback. A light signal emitted by the container will allow scientists to locate it immediately after its return.
Few doubt JAXA’s ability to nail this final part of the process since it performed a similar feat in 2010, when Hayabusa2’s predecessor returned with samples taken from the surface (not underground as with Hayabusa2) of another distant asteroid.
And Hayabusa2’s work isn’t done yet, as once the spacecraft has ejected the capsule, it will fly back into space, heading for another distant asteroid on a journey that is expected to last 10 years.
NASA is currently on a similar type of mission having recently recovered rock samples from an asteroid more than 200 million miles from Earth. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will begin its journey home in March 2021, with the capsule and its contents expected to arrive on Earth in September 2023.
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