Asteroid explorer, Hayabusa2
Press Conference

December 15, 2020
JAXA Hayabusa2 ProjectTopics
Regarding Hayabusa2,
 Gas sampling Confirmation of the Ryugu sample

2020/12/15

Hayabusa2 Press Conference2Gas sampling at the QLF"From capsule collection through to airlift to Japan"
Collectedinstrument module

Sample container
removedCollecting the gasp

The collected instrument module (I/M) is transported to the QLF (QuickLook Facility) and disassembled after safety checks.

pRemove the sample container and connect it to the gas sampling
equipment.

pCollect gas from the sample container and perform mass spectrometry.

! Sample container removed, collecting the gas!    

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Hayabusa2 Press Conference3Gas sampling at the QLF
Gas analysis in the sample container

p On December 7, 2020, mass spectrometry of the gas collected from the sample container wasperformed at the QLF (Quick Look Facility).
p For confirmation, a similar analysis was performed at the JAXA Sagamihara Campus
Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center on December 10 – 11.
p The gas in the sample container is judged to originate from Ryugu based on the following points:ØThe results of the analysis at the Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center are the same as the results of the gas analysis
conducted at the Woomera Local Headquarters in Australia.

ØAccording to the analysis results, the condition of the sample container was sealed as designed, with an aluminum metal seal,such that the contamination from the Earth’s atmosphere is sufficiently suppressed to below the permissible level for themission.

ØThe gas analysed on the Sagamihara campus was generated in the sample container after the recovery of the gas in Australia.
Since it is of the same composition, the collected gas is considered to be generated by the degassing of the sample.

World’s first gas sample returned from deep space
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Hayabusa2 Press Conference

4Opening the container in the curation clean room

+Removal of the ablator from the sample container, and the work to open the container+ %  %      %! #  #   ! '     ! '     # !   %   %#  $ " ! # %  ! (#  "  #    %!  ! "   %   $   "    ! %   #   ! #!

  %!

#%* '#$%)!!)!
)&$& '#$%) "     %   $   "    ! %   #2020/12/15

Hayabusa2 Press Conference

5Opening the container in the curation clean room

&Clean chamber CC3-1 connection, sample container opened&!%# !$$
$" "# !$         !          !   !           !      "    "   !         !          !          !           !% "    "         #    !     !           

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!% Hayabusa2 Press Conference

6Opening the container in the curation clean roomClean chamber CC3-1 connection, sample container opened

pOpen the sample container in CC3-1 andpull out the sample catcher from inside.

p

After moving the catcher to CC3-2 in orderto remove the sample catcher lid, observe
the bottom of the sample container.

pBlack particles that appear to be Ryugu
material are confirmed to be at the bottomof the sample container.

After moving the catcher, the bottom of the sample container is viewed
from above.

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Hayabusa2 Press Conference    

7

Opening Chamber A

Removing the lid of chamber A

BACParticles areconfirmed
from abovechamber A

Open the lid ofchamber Ap

The sample catcher was moved to clean chamber CC3-2, and the lid of sample catcher chamber A was opened invacuum conditions.

pMany particles are confirmed to be in chamber A. This is thought to be the sample collected during Touchdown#1 on Ryugu.

pPart of the sample was picked up in Chamber A to be stored in vacuum in its present condition.

p

From here, we will move to chamber CC3-3, remove the samples from chamber A in a nitrogen environment,
and open chambers B and C.
    

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Hayabusa2 Press Conference8

Particle confirmation in chamber AParticles confirmed in chamber A

p The lid of chamber A was removed, and particles within chamber A were confirmed. 12/15 ataround 11:10 JST.
    
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Hayabusa2 Press Conference9Reference

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Hayabusa2 Press Conference10Clean chamber
CC3-1
Opening the sample container undervacuum environment
CC3-2
Sample collection under vacuum
CC3-3
Transition from vacuum to nitrogenenvironment
CC4-1
Handling of submillimeter-sizedparticles

 CC4-2
Handling / observation / sorting ofrelatively large particles (> mm)  

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