Mission: Hayabusa 2 Options

[Marcin600]

A new pdf from the press conference (February 4, 2021) has appeared on the Hayabusa2 website:
http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/en/enjoy/mate...04_ver5_en2.pdf


It contains the current status of the mission: sample testing (very briefly), the progress of an extended mission and several research results from the probe, including an article that appeared in Nature Astronomy: „Thermally altered subsurface material of asteroid (162173) Ryugu”: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-01271-2

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[Explorer1]

While we wait for scientific results, a very nice video about public outreach:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLuf64TK6DA

[Marcin600]

For those interested in the ongoing research of the Ryugu samples, some useful (I think) link(s):

https://curation.isas.jaxa.jp/en/ - ASRG (Astromaterials Science Research Group) homepage - sample testing is underway here (I hope there will be some current news)

https://curation.isas.jaxa.jp/en/sample-curation/ryugu/ - detailed description of current and future sample testing process

https://curation.isas.jaxa.jp/en/sample-cur.../collaboration/ - international cooperation


Photo 1 and info from January 29, 2021: „...The picture shows the work that the samples in the clean chamber are being handled with a vacuum tweezer and stored into the designated container.” (https://curation.isas.jaxa.jp/en/topics/21-01-29.html)

Photo 2: Loop needle used to carry samples

Photo 3: A known picture of chamber A with samples, but in high resolution (https://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/jaxa-jda/http_root/photo/P100013138/a355b28bcd771d5bb3a57e68c3a6b8c3.jpg)

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[Marcin600]

And a link to the JAXA Repository - https://jaxa.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=pages_v...mp;lang=english
For example, there is now a complete catalog of Itokawa micro-samples (ver. 2020, 342 MB) - https://jaxa.repo.nii.ac.jp/index.php?actio...amp;block_id=21

Here is a short video of flying over the return capsule after it has landed - http://jda.jaxa.jp/result.php?lang=e&i...660b405af567b2a

[Marcin600]

Citations from two LPSC 52 abstracts:

S. Tachibana et al. HAYABUSA2 REENTRY CAPSULE RETRIEVAL AND SAMPLE CONTAINER OPENING OPERATIONS.
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2021/pdf/1289.pdf
[in Australia:]
."..The temperature monitor attached to the sample container indicated that the container was never heated up to 65°C, which is lower than the maximum daytime temperature at the Ryugu surface...
...The container was in vaccum, indicating the container seal held during reentry and therefore low terrestrial contamination. The gas extracted from the sample container was split into four gas tanks at room temperature, and the residual gas in the system was then trapped into two gas tanks cooled at liquid nitrogen temperature. A fraction of the gas was analyzed by a quadrupole mass spectrometer (WATMASS, Tokyo Electronics). The obtained mass spectrum was distinctly different from the terrestrial air, and the detailed analysis is still being performed for the gas stored in the tanks..."
[in Japan:]
"...Particles in the Sample Container: Initial description of the samples inside the sample container by the ISAS/JAXA curation found that the samples have the following characteristics:
(1) Particles were found in two separate chambers used for two landing operations at Ryugu, indicating that the samples at the different surface locations were obtained successfully.
(2) The particles were black in color, consistent with the color of Ryugu boulders.
(3) Millimeter- to centimeter-sized pebbles are present. Centimeter-sized grains, close to the maximum obtainable size, are found in the sample obtained during the second landing operation nearby the artificial crater.
(4) The total weight of the sample exceeds 5 g, which is far more than the mission requirement (0.1 g)..."

T. Yada et al. HANDLING AND DESCRIPTION OF C-TYPE ASTEROID RYUGU SAMPLES RETURNED BY HAYABUSA2.
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2021/pdf/2008.pdf
"...Particles smaller than 1 mm were also observed in chamber B as well...
...Future plan for sample distributions: The initial description of the Ryugu samples will last for 6 months after the return of the samples. The samples will be distributed to the initial analysis team of Hayabusa2 the phase2 curation teams that will make detailed analysis with a collaboration with ESCuC. One year later after the return, 10% of the samples will be delivered to NASA based on the Memorandum of Understanding between JAXA and NASA. Simultaneously, some fraction of samples will be distributed to overseas phase2 curation teams. JAXA will release the announcement of opportunity for the Hayabusa2 samples to the community with the sample catalog after 18 months from the return..."

[Paolo]

An open access paper in Astronomy & Astrophysics:
Size of particles ejected from an artificial impact crater on asteroid 162173 Ryugu