World’s First Gas Sample From Deep Space Returned With Asteroid Ryugu Material From Hayabusa2

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has actually validated that the gas gathered from the sample container inside the re-entry pill of the asteroid explorer, Hayabusa2, is a gas sample stemming from asteroid Ryugu.

The outcome of the mass spectrometry of the gathered gas within the sample container carried out at the QLF (Quick Look Facility) developed at the Woomera Local Headquarters in Australia on December 7, 2020, recommended that the gas varied from the climatic structure of the Earth. For extra verification, a comparable analysis was carried out on December 10 – 11 at the Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center on the JAXA Sagamihara Campus. This has actually caused the conclusion that the gas in the sample container is originated from asteroid Ryugu.

Sample container structure. Credit: JAXA

The premises for making this choice are because of the following 3 points.

• Gas analysis at the Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center and at the Woomera Local Headquarters in Australia offered the very same outcome.
• The sample container is sealed with an aluminum metal seal and the condition of the container is as developed, such that the addition of the Earth’s environment was kept well listed below the allowable level throughout the objective.
• Since it was validated on the Sagamihara school that gas of the very same structure had actually been created even after the elimination of the container gas in Australia, it is thought about that the gathered gas should be because of the degassing from the sample.

This is the world’s very first sample return of a product in the gas state from deep area.

The preliminary analysis group will continue with opening the sample container and carrying out an in-depth analysis of the molecular and isotopic structure of the gathered gas.

Equipment for gas analysis gave the Woomera Local Headquarters in Australia. Credit: JAXA