Japan To Fully Examine Soil Samples Brought By Hayabusa2 Space Probe In June - Reports

Daniyal Sohail Published March 19, 2021 | 08:37 PM

Scientists will begin a full-fledged study of soil samples collected by Japan's Hayabusa2 space probe from the Ryugu asteroid in June, the national NHK broadcaster reported on Friday, citing representatives of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th March, 2021) Scientists will begin a full-fledged study of soil samples collected by Japan's Hayabusa2 space probe from the Ryugu asteroid in June, the national NHK broadcaster reported on Friday, citing representatives of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

According to the broadcaster, the analysis will be carried out by experts from nine different teams, which will include JAXA and university staff. Each team will be responsible for investigating various aspects, including whether the soil contains minerals, water or other organic elements.

Part of the soil samples is expected to be transferred in December to NASA for study, the broadcaster added.

The Hayabusa2 mission was launched in December 2014.

It reached Ryugu in 2018 and collected samples in 2019, some of them from beneath the asteroid's surface.

Last December, the Hayabusa2 probe successfully released the capsule with the first rock samples ever collected from beneath the surface of an asteroid to a location in southern Australia, ahead of its planned descent to Earth. The capsule landed in an Australian desert from where it was later delivered to Japan.

According to JAXA, Hayabusa2 delivered 5.4 grams of soil back to Earth. It is the second time that untouched material from an asteroid has been brought back to our planet and scientists expect these samples to offer clues into the origins of life on Earth.