Japan ’s Hayabusa2 investigation touch down successfully on the Ryugu asteroid late last week , blasting its surface and — hopefully — collecting sampling . A Modern image loose by JAXA shows a typical spot on the asteroid where the process took billet , but the cause of the dark control surface feature is n’t immediately clear .
Japan ’s mission to extract open samples from an asteroid and render them to Earth is likely drop dead exceptionally well . The solicitation phase of the mission pass belatedly last calendar week , when the Hayabusa2 probe made its much - anticipateddescent to the surfaceof the one - km - wide asteroid , which is situate about 3.2 billion kilometers from Earth .
To gather samples , the Hayabusa2 investigation used aprojector — a variety of throttle — to shoot a 5 - gram tantalum slug into the airfoil of Ryugu at 300 metre per second , or almost 1,000 base per second . Debris kicked up by the impact was then collected by the probe ’s sampler horn . At least in theory — we wo n’t rightfully bed if material entered into the horn until the probe return to Earth in December 2020 .
Anew imagereleased by JAXA shows a smuggled smudge at the sampling internet site . Hayabusa2 took the exposure with its Optical Navigation Camera about one minute after the touchdown , and as it was return to its home locating some 20 klick ( 12.4 miles ) above the asteroid . The probe snapped the exposure when it was about 25 metre ( 82 feet ) from the sample website . The cause and nature of the darkened area are n’t totally clean-cut .
“ The colouring material of the region beneath the space vehicle ’s shadow differs from the surroundings and has been discolored by the touchdown , ” noted JAXA in apress release . “ At the moment , the reason for the discoloration is unknown but it may be due to the grit that was shove off upwardly by the spacecraft thrusters or bullet ( projectile ) . ”
Both theories make mother wit , and it could be a compounding of the two . It ’s not clear , however , if the impact itself caused the stain , or if the natural process of the investigation upturned darkened material from below . Or if it ’s something else entirely .
An annotated image shew the planned touchdown situation in purple . The ruddy arrow indicates a target marker deployed in the first place by the probe ; the shiny marker provided a reference point for Hayabusa2 as it was making its descent . The JAXA mission planners were hoping to land about 4 to 5 meters ( 13 to 16 foot ) from the mark , the BBCreports . Looking at the 6 - beat - wide-cut objective area and the dark splotches , it would appear that Hayabusa2 nail down the landing place site .
JAXA also released an image show the area prior to touchdown . No discoloration can be understand in the photos , which means the probe ’s activities are almost certainly responsible for the fresh surface characteristic .
In preparatory tests done on Earth by JAXA , the tremendous military force of the bullet ’s impact could be seen inslow - movement footage . It should thus come as minuscule surprise that the impingement on Ryugu , with its minimal sombreness , would bring on such a dramatic surface feature .
Hayabusa ’s work at Ryugu is not yet complete . Later this class ( between April and June ) , the probe will attempt to excerpt subsurface fabric . To do so , it will degenerate a small explosive equipment onto the asteroid , create a minuscule crater . After the dust settles , Hayabusa2 will drop down and attempt to pull together sample distribution .
[ JAXA , BBC ]
asteroidsHayabusa2Science
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