JAXA's Hayabusa2 spacecraft returned to Earth on December 6, 2020, carrying precious samples from asteroid Ryugu. Researchers have confirmed the extraterrestrial haul—and revealed it exceeded expectations.
In a landmark endeavor, Japan's space agency JAXA targeted Ryugu, a 900-meter-wide asteroid orbiting about 350 million kilometers from Earth. Launched in 2014, Hayabusa2 reached its destination in 2018 and touched down twice in 2019 to collect surface and subsurface material. The probe began its return journey in November 2019, releasing its sample capsule over southern Australia on December 6.
JAXA recently unveiled images of the samples, verifying their otherworldly origins: fine dust and pebbles the size of coffee beans (see header image).
For the first time, the mission captured gas from the asteroid's surface. Project manager Yuichi Tsuda hailed it as "a major scientific milestone."
Even better, the haul surpassed projections, enabling deeper analysis and potential collaboration with experts like those at NASA.
These are the surface samples; the subsurface chamber from the second touchdown remains sealed but is slated for opening next week.
Sourced from objects dating back 4.6 billion years, these pristine materials offer insights into solar system formation and the role of carbon-rich asteroids in life's origins on Earth.
Meanwhile, Hayabusa2 presses on toward asteroid 1998 KY26—a fast-spinning, 30-meter rock between Mars and Earth—arriving in 2031.
