Space probe examining origins of life arrives at asteroid
June 27, 2018
A spacecraft on a mission to study the origins of life and the solar system has arrived at an asteroid. Japan's Hayabusa 2 will collect samples before returning to Earth.
Image: DLR CC-BY3.0
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A Japanese space probe seeking to learn about the origins of the solar system and life has arrived at an asteroid 300 million kilometers (186 million miles) from Earth, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said on Wednesday.
The Hayabusa 2 had blasted off in December 2014 on a 3.2 billion-kilometer journey (equivalent to roughly 80,000 trips around the Earth's circumference) to the asteroid Ryugu and is now orbiting it at a distance of 20 kilometers.
If all goes as planned, the 600-kilogram spacecraft will spend the next 18 months mapping the surface of the asteroid, which is about 1-kilometer in diameter, and conduct three short touch-and-go landings to collect samples.
The spacecraft carries three rovers as well as a French-German-made lander to study the surface. It will also use a "collision device" to create a small artificial crater to collect fresh samples from under the surface.
The Hayabusa 2, named after the peregrine falcon bird of prey, will then return to Earth with samples at the end of 2020.
In photos JAXA released earlier this week, the asteroid can be seen with craters, rocks and varying geographical features, including a peak at the equator. The shape of the asteroid was revealed to be similar to an abacus bead, rather than circular or square as originally thought.
"This form of Ryugu is scientifically surprising and also poses a few engineering challenges," Hayabusa 2 project manager Yuichi Tsuda wrote on Monday.
An image taken on June 24, 2018, of the asteroid Ryugu shows it has an abacus bead shape marked by a surface with craters, rocks and other geographical features. Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/JAXA
The shape of the asteroid means that Tsuda "expect(s) the direction of the gravitational force on the wide areas of the asteroid surface to not point directly down."
The Hayabusa 2 is a C-type primordial asteroid formed during the beginning of the solar system. Scientists believe it contains organic and hydrated minerals, the collection of which may provide insight into the formation of the Earth as well as life.
"Minerals and seawater which form the Earth as well as materials for life are believed to be strongly connected in the primitive solar nebula in the early solar system, thus we expect to clarify the origin of life by analyzing samples acquired from a primordial celestial body such as a C-type asteroid to study organic matter and water in the solar system and how they coexist while affecting each other," JAXA said.
An earlier Hayabusa mission from 2003 to 2010 was unable to collect as many samples as hoped from a different type of asteroid, but still made history by being the first mission to bring back samples from an asteroid.
An astronaut's view
In space, German astronaut Alexander Gerst was able to take stunning images of the Earth's surface. Experiments conducted by the international team may also benefit the Earth and its people.
Image: ESA/NASA
More than science
"Hello Berlin, I don't see any borders from up here!" Gerst tweeted on November 9th 2014, the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Apart from conducting a number of experiments in various scientific disciplines, Alexander Gerst had another important mission: to show people on Earth how beautiful and fascinating our "Blue Dot" is.
Image: Alexander Gerst/ESA/picture-alliance/dpa
Breathtaking phenomenon
"Words can't describe how it feels flying through an Aurora" - that's how Alexander Gerst described his experience with this natural phenomenon. Although he found it difficult to capture the experience in words, he was able to conduct research into auroras. One aim was to investigate the influence of our planet's electromagnetic forces on electronic devices at the International Space Station.
Even on Earth, one rarely gets to see the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. Alexander Gerst was fortunate to get this great shot from space of the Northern Lights in the polar region.
Image: ESA/NASA
Geochallenge
It is neither a mountain, nor a vulcano. In fact, this picture taken by Alexander Gerst shows Barringer Meteorite Crater in Arizona. Gerst would often share his photos on social media with the hashtag #geochallenge, challenging the public to try and figure out where the geographical feature might be.
It looks like a tiny hole, but actually measures 80 kilometers (50 miles) wide. Despite its interesting appearance, typhoons like this one can cause tremendous damage on the Earth's surface. "From up here it is surprisingly obvious that our world is one connected system," Gerst observed from space.
On thing that makes Alexander Gerst's photos so beautiful and fascinating is how they are unstaged, authentic snapshots. In this image, which Gerst tweeted as the saddest photo he's taken yet, explosions and rockets are visible in Gaza and Israel.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/ESA/NASA
Scientific purposes
Gerst's images, including this one of windswept valleys in North Africa, can be compared to previous, similar images. This helps scientists observe changes on the Earth's surface and determine whether they are natural or manmade.
The circles on this image are not the work of aliens, but rather irrigated agricultural fields in arid regions of Mexico. Some of Gerst's experiments dealt with food - for example, the astronauts grew edible plants on the space station to see if they could develop methods to use water more efficiently.
Image: ESA/NASA
Works of art
Some images Gerst took look like the works of a talented painter. This image shows a river in Kazakhstan snaking its way through the landscape. Defunct bends of the river are also visible, and one can imagine how it's likely to change course again in the future.
Image: ESA/NASA
Different view of infinity
"When light from the Cupola tints ISS orange inside, I can tell we're over Africa without even looking out the window," Gerst had tweeted. The Sahara Desert is perceived to be endless - when one is in it. But as this image of Libya shows, even the sand dunes there have a beginning and an end.
