The Ryugu Asteroid's previous samples focused on research, saying that a small quantity of space rock already says a lot about the universe and its origin. The selection brought home by the Hayabusa-2 mission from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) when it accidentally chipped the surface turned out to be a phenomenal discovery.
Ryugu Asteroid and the Universe's Origins
Two studies dedicated themselves to the Ryugu asteroid and its samples that returned to the planet, bringing what researchers speculated on the asteroid. As it turns out, the research entitled "Preliminary analysis of the Hayabusa2 samples returned from C-type asteroid Ryugu" already reveals a lot about the asteroid.
The research saw the many compounds, elements, and other materials in the sample that say a lot about the primordial days of the universe.
On the other hand, the most recent study entitled "First compositional analysis of Ryugu samples by the MicrOmega hyperspectral microscope" explains that the Ryugu have keys to unlocking the past. The universe's history remains unknown to the public, but patterns in the samples in Ryugu bring evidence to the millennia that the universe existed.
JAXA's Hayabusa-2 Mission and Ryugu
JAXA's Hayabusa-2 Mission intends to discover more of the Ryugu, focusing on gathering more samples and collecting more information about the space rock.
The asteroid is near Mars in between the Earth and its neighbor. That explains why it takes longer to get to its surface on a six-year course to and from the planet to bring samples.
The Ryugu Mission Over the Years
The 2014 mission of JAXA with the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft focused on the Ryugu asteroid and its origins, mainly as it is an astounding piece of space rock that mesmerizes scholars and astronomers. Until now, the asteroid's origin is one of the most sought-after knowledge in space, especially as experts believe it has answers to more questions.
JAXA and Hayabusa-2's journey is a long one, as it took them three years to bring the spacecraft in the region of the asteroid, where it sent down robots to explore the surface for the things it aims to discover. It was not long before the space agency decided to set off charges and create an artificial crater to obtain deeper samples.
Ryugu has given scientists a focus on exploring the universe's history, particularly its origin, which remains unknown and unfamiliar to the public. Space is a vast and mysterious place, with its environment being known for its deafening silence and full of chemicals both known and unknown to humans.
More significant samples may come soon, bringing more keys to unlock the secrets of the universe.
Read also: BepiColombo Mercury Flyby: ESA, JAXA, Bepi Narrates the First Planet's Environment and MORE
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Written by Isaiah Richard
