PRISTINE ASTEROID PROBES

The first pristine samples of materials from C-type carbonaceous asteroids reached Earth in Southern Australia on Dec 6, 2020 in Japan's Hayabusa2, an asteroid probe that arrived on the one kilometer-wide RYUGU asteroid on June 27, 2018. Launched in 2014 the probe is set to return to Earth after an 18 million mile trip. Hayabusa-2 placed 1 of 3 robotic rovers and a lander on RYUGU on 22 Feb 2019 to explore its surface and collect 100 gm of material to return to Earth, while  Returning samples of any carbonaceous molecules building blocks may be a key to our understanding of the origins of planets and life on Earth.       Analysis of the samples could confirm that these asteroids contain organic compounds and water locked inside hydrated minerals supporting the hypothesis that these compound could have been brought to Earth from space.        NASA’s OSIRIS-REx which entered orbit on 31 Dec, 2018 of a 500 meter wide asteroid, BENNU, to map asteroid for landing/ sample collection in 2020. OSIRIS-REx will attempt to return 2 kilograms. The probe left Bennu on May 10, 2021 and is scheduled to arrive back at Earth 2.5 years later.

Launched - 12/2/2014     Arrived - 6/27/2018     Departed - 11/13/2019     Earth - 12/6/2020                                     Ryugu preliminary analyses published 20 Dec 2021

BACK

Hayabusa-2 placed 1 of 3 robotic rovers and a lander on Ryugu on 22 Feb 2019

2nd touchdown to sample asteroid on July 11, 2019