JAXA - Hayabusa Mission patch.
January 17, 2011 (JST)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has been engaged in collecting and categorizing particles in the sampler container (*1), which was brought back by the instrumental module of the asteroid exploration spacecraft "Hayabusa."
Hayabusa sampler container before the opening
JAXA decided to commence the initial analysis (*2) of particles indentified as rocky using scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations, which were collected through the free fall method from sample catcher compartment "A." Please see the attached list of researchers in charge of initial analysis.
*1 The Hayabusa sampler container consists of 2 compartments that are called Sample Catcher A and B.
*2 "Initial analysis" means the analysis of typical particles to obtain information necessary for categorizing
(identification, classification and numbering) as a part of curation activity (*3).
*3 "Curation activity" means the retrieval of particles, preservation, categorizing and allocation and their necessary analysis.
List of initial analysis plans
Note: This table shows overall plan for over the next several months. Michael Zolensky (NASA), Scott Sandford (NASA) and Trevor Ireland (ANU, Australia) will join as foreign researchers.
Mission website:
Asteroid Explorer "HAYABUSA" (MUSES-C): http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/muses_c/index_e.html
High Energy Accelerator Research Organization: http://www.kek.jp/intra-e/
Images, Text, Credit: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Cheers, Orbiter.ch
