Mission: Hayabusa 2 Options

[bobik]

At the moment, the Hayabusa2 capsule is jetting back to Japan on a Dassault Falcon 7X aircraft.

[Marcin600]

Today's press conference is postponed from 11:00(JST). New start time will be announced when it is determined.
(Press Conference on Hayabusa2 Earth Return : Capsule Arrival at Sagamihara)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFAyw0Atosk...eature=youtu.be

(probably it will start around 12:00 JST)

[Marcin600]

From the press conference - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFAyw0Atosk...eature=youtu.be :
Analyzes of the collected gas are ongoing, but it is very likely that it comes from Ryugu (the gas was extracted from the capsule body, not from the sample container)
1 - sample separation - 10% will be for NASA (but, judging from the drawing, not so fast)
2 - removing the sample container (from what I understood next week (?) we will find out how much sample is inside)

Press conference pdf (mostly in Japanese):
http://fanfun.jaxa.jp/countdown/hayabusa2/...usa2_1208-2.pdf
http://fanfun.jaxa.jp/countdown/hayabusa2/...usa2_1208-1.pdf

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Xerxes]

I ran it through a simple translator for those whose Japanese isn't so good. I believe AO stands for "Announcement of Opportunity", basically a JAXA academic proposal process.

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Marcin600]

Earth by Hayabusa2 during the flyby::

1. Distance 130000 km, December 6, 9:00 JST (about 6 and a half hours after the closest approach to the Earth)

2. Distance 88000 km, December 6, 6:30 JST (about 4 hours after the closest approach to the Earth)

Credit: JAXA

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Marcin600]

"The sample container inside the re-entry capsule was opened on December 14, and we confirmed black grains thought to be from Ryugu were inside. This is outside the main chambers, and likely particles attached to the sample catcher entrance." - https://twitter.com/haya2e_jaxa/status/1338469549822201856


Edit: Translation of the press release on JAXA website - https://www.jaxa.jp/press/2020/12/20201214-1_j.html :
"Confirmation of sampling of the asteroid Ryugu on the asteroid explorer "Hayabusa2" December 14, 2020, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has confirmed a sample derived from the asteroid Ryugu from the sample container inside the re-entry capsule of the asteroid explorer "Hayabusa2". The Hayabusa2 re-entry capsule collected in Woomera, Australia on December 6, 2020 was delivered to the JAXA Sagamihara Campus on December 8, and after that, the sample container inside the re-entry capsule was opened. On the 14th of December, a black sand granular sample believed to be derived from the asteroid Ryugu was confirmed inside the sample container. This is thought to be the particles attached to the entrance of the sample catcher (the container in which the sample is stored). We will continue to open the sample catcher in the sample container, and the curation and initial analysis team will take out the sample and analyze it."

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[pandaneko]

https://www-sankei-com.cdn.ampproject.org/i...12150029-p1.jpg

another picture of the sands

P

[Marcin600]

So we have the first samples of the asteroid visible to the naked eye !!!

"A large number of particles are confirmed to be in “sample chamber A” inside the collected capsule (~11:10 JST on 12/15). This is thought to be the sample from the first touchdown on Ryugu. The photo looks brown, but our team says “black”! The sample return is a great success!" - https://twitter.com/haya2e_jaxa/status/1338754705644634112

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Marcin600]

JAXA Press Release - https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2020/12/20201215-2_e.html :

"Analysis results from the gas collected from the sample container of the asteroid explorer, Hayabusa2. December 15, 2020 (JST). National Research & Development Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has confirmed that the gas collected from the sample container inside the re-entry capsule of the asteroid explorer, Hayabusa2, is a gas sample originating from asteroid Ryugu.

The result of the mass spectrometry of the collected gas within the sample container performed at the QLF (Quick Look Facility) established at the Woomera Local Headquarters in Australia on December 7, 2020, suggested that the gas differed from the atmospheric composition of the Earth. For additional confirmation, a similar analysis was performed on December 10 – 11 at the Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center on the JAXA Sagamihara Campus. This has led to the conclusion that the gas in the sample container is derived from asteroid Ryugu.

The grounds for making this decision are due to the following three points:
- Gas analysis at the Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center and at the Woomera Local Headquarters in Australia gave the same result.
- The sample container is sealed with an aluminum metal seal and the condition of the container is as designed, such that the inclusion of the Earth’s atmosphere was kept well below the permissible level during the mission.
- Since it was confirmed on the Sagamihara campus that gas of the same composition had been generated even after the removal of the container gas in Australia, it is considered that the collected gas must be due to the degassing from the sample.
 
This is the world’s first sample return of a material in the gas state from deep space.
The initial analysis team will continue with opening the sample container and performing a detailed analysis of the molecular and isotopic composition of the collected gas."

[Marcin600]

Sample size in chamber A (from the first touchdown on Ryugu) - based on: https://www.jaxa.jp/press/2020/12/20201215-3_j.html

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Marcin600]

From the latest JAXA press conference - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVW3kazMTOY&t=4s
pdf - http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/enjoy/materia...201215_ver4.pdf
(only in Japanese)

Opening the sample container:

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Marcin600]

I translated some descriptions using Google

Edit:
and now JAXA has released the official English version of the press conference material - http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/en/enjoy/mate...15_ver3_en2.pdf

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Marcin600]

News from JAXA:

1. „The samples from asteroid Ryugu in the re-entry capsule weigh about 5.4g!
This greatly exceeds the the target yield of 0.1g (the amount required for the initial scientific analysis) set during the design of Hayabusa2.” - https://twitter.com/haya2e_jaxa/status/1339811691681308673

„This is weighed at the JAXA Sagamihara Campus Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center on December 18, 2020, including the sample as a whole "Sample Catcher" in the sample container taken out from the re-entry capsule of the asteroid explorer "Hayabusa2". By doing so, the approximate total weight of the collected samples (total of A, B, and C chamber samples) was calculated from the difference from the weight of the "sample catcher" before launch. This does not include the amount of sample outside the "Sample Catcher" found on the bottom of the sample container on December 14th.” (a rough translation of this text - https://fanfun.jaxa.jp/topics/detail/17721.html )


2. "This photograph is the color-adjusted version of the photo released on December 15 (it looked brown due to the orange ambient light in the curation facility)" - https://twitter.com/haya2e_jaxa/status/1339813468883439624

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Marcin600]

So NASA should get around 0.5g. Not too much, but priceless!

For comparison, here are photos of my Murchison meteorite piece, which has a similar weight - 0.57g and a size of about 1.5 x 1 cm (but it's a slice)
[Murchison is carbonaceous chondrite - CM2, fell in September 1969 in Australia ]

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[nprev]

I wonder if that's TOTAL total, or just the yield from sample chamber A? I would guess the latter.