Hello everyone,

There was important news in the space community last week as the capsule from the Hayabusa2 spacecraft returned to earth. It traveled a long way, 300,000,000 kilometers! This week scientists were able to look inside the capsule and see what was collected. Here is some of the report from Canada’s news site:

“We have confirmed a good amount of sand apparently collected from the asteroid Ryugu, along with gases,” JAXA Hayabusa2 project manager Yuichi Tsuda said in a video message during an online news conference. “The samples from outside of our planet, which we have long dreamed of, are now in our hands.”

It is amazing that there is not only dust, but also gases from space. That is the first time that has happened!

Hirotaka Sawada, a JAXA scientist, was the first to look inside the capsule’s sample-catcher. Sawada said he was “almost speechless” with joy when he found that the samples inside included some that were, as expected, dust size, but also some the size of pebbles.

I remember as a boy hearing about moon rocks, but this is from much, much farther away.

Following studies in Japan, some of the samples will be shared with NASA and other international space agencies for additional research beginning in 2022.

Hayabusa2, meanwhile, is now on an 11-year expedition to another asteroid to try to study possible defences against meteoroids that could fly toward Earth.

I think it is great that we can share this material with other countries, and that Hayabusa2 will continue to fly through space to make more discoveries. I will update you in 2031 when it completes the next mission! Maybe some of our rocket girls at school will be involved…