In the night of Friday, the Japanese space probe Hayabusa 2 has visited the asteroid Ryugu and material samples. In the coming year, the probe will return with the collected Material to earth. Scientists hope the Mission’s findings about the origins of the earth. the
in order To 23.49 PM Central European time and it will be done, in the control center in Sagamihara, in front of the gates of Tokyo employees tear the arms up, applause was to come, as in the Livestream of the Japanese space Agency Jaxa to observe. It takes a good 30 minutes, until all the data are examined, until all of them can be in the control room safe: An unmanned Japanese space probe has just taken some 300 million kilometers away from earth samples from asteroids Ryugu.
Hayabusa 2 sucked first samples from the surface by a kind of proboscis. The Material has previously been stirred up by the fire with a ball. Further samples are to be obtained in a similar spectacular way: A so-called Impactor, a two-kilogram piece of copper is dropped with an explosive charge and on the ground. This is an artificial crater.
So that the Impactor performs the same function as the Hammers of the geologists on earth. This experience only through the Smashing of a stone More information about the condition of the said Ralf Jaumann, a planetary researchers at the German center for air and space travel (DLR).
Due to the very low gravity on Ryugu – only 60,000 times the force of gravity drops of the Impactor is so slow that the spacecraft can be directed to the protection against wegfliegendem Rock on the other side of the asteroid. Then Hayabusa 2 returns and approaches the asteroid to within a few meters, so you can re-samples from the punched hole. It was not, therefore, landings in the strict sense, but rather to “Touchdowns,” says Jaumann.
data for the defence of asteroids
Ryugus orbit around the sun is close to that of the earth. Therefore, he belongs to a group of asteroids, which could also pose a danger to earth. Such a heaven would flee the body on the earth, it would bring a bit of firing him, explains Jaumann. Because that would only lead to multiple small fragments to fly with the same energy on the earth.
Rather, you would have to distract a potentially threatening asteroid over a longer period of its orbit. Therefore, it is important to know its composition. For this scenario, the Hayabusa 2provides Mission valuable data. In addition, Ryugu is about as old as the earth. While this but due to geological processes has changed, the Asteroid probably still be in about the same shape as at the time of its emergence. Therefore, he also gives information about the formation of our planet.
In the coming year is to return the probe to earth. Your predecessor had already brought in 2010 for the first Time, soil samples of an asteroid to the earth. Hayabusa 2 launched in December 2014 in Japan and reached after almost four years in All at the end of June last year, your goal. Since then, she encircled with Ryugu together in the sun.
Its name to the Asteroid from the underwater Palace of the dragon king who appears in the Japanese Tradition. Hayabusa 2 was on its way to the asteroid, other measuring devices. One of them, the DLR and the French space Agency, CNES, developed the robot “Mascot”. He was landed last October on the asteroid and had this explored for several hours until his battery was gone. During the “Mascot” remains to Ryugu, the Mission of the probe is Hayabusa 2 now.