Asteroids have long been a topic of intrigue and have served as the source of various science fiction stories, but after recent developments, an asteroid sample is set to land on Earth for the first time. As part of the NASA-JAXA, the Hayabusa 2 mission, has been successful in their pursuit of an asteroid sample which is expected to touchdown on Australian soil this month.
The traditional method of asteroid observation has seen missions go upwards and collect rocks from the exterior of outer bodies. However, with the Hayabusa 2 mission a sample from the interior of an asteroid will be collected and transported to Earth. The asteroid sample will contain vaporized matter that will be collected from the dust cloud released from the asteroid itself when it was blasted by an impactor.
It’s important to understand the scientific significance of this landing and what it could mean for the future of space exploration. The results from this mission could have huge potential implications for the way we explore asteroid sampling in the future. This mission would allow us to gain access to the innermost workings of asteroids and can serve as a way of gaining insights or new materials from asteroids that would have otherwise been inaccessible.
The challenges faced by the mission are no small feat, as excavating, collecting and transporting an asteroid sample is no mean task, especially when dealing with the resistance of the asteroid itself. The mission must also overcome the variable of the large propulsion thruster back at the asteroid and must also ensure that the sample is not contaminated or exposed to damage along the way.
Thanks to Hayabusa 2, the first-of-its-kind mission will soon deposit its first space sample to Earth. The sample is expected to deliver invaluable insights to scientists around the world as to how they can explore space in the future. It will also serve as the proof of concept that upcoming asteroid mission can utilise, for future sample collection from the stars.