Hayabusa 2 is the successor to the first asteroid explorer, Hayabusa, which visited the asteroid “Itokawa” and returned with samples in 2010. In 2020, Hayabusa 2 completed the first part of its mission to touch down and retrieve samples from the C-type asteroid “Ryugu” in order to improve our understanding of the raw materials that led to the origins of the solar system and the evolution of life on Earth.
Ryugu is a more primitive celestial body than the S-type asteroid Itokawa. It is thought to contain more organic compounds and hydrous minerals even though it is a similar rocky asteroid. It is believed that the minerals that make up the earth, the water of the sea, and the basic precursors to life had a close relationship in the primitive solar nebula at the beginning of the solar system.
Analysis of these unique samples will provide more knowledge about organic substances and water present in the small corner of space that is our solar system. This might be a key to help understand how these fundamental materials coexisted and interacted, helping us understand more about the origins of life.
It is truly an honor for the JASCO Group to be involved in this magnificent mission. We will continue to make contributions for the next generation using our advanced technologies.
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Preliminary analysis of Hayabusa2 samples from C-type asteroid Ryugu