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Science
Related: About this forumEarlier tonight, Japan's Hayabusa-2 spacecraft paid a call on Earth to drop off its box of rocks...
... before zipping away to its next mission. The box of rocks - okay, it's called the capsule - is heading for Woomera, South Australia. It will be tracked by the satellite dishes of the Canberra branch of the Deep Space Network. It's scheduled to arrive between 12 - 1PM Eastern Time.
The rock sample was taken from 2 locations on Ryugu, a near-earth object /asteroid.
(Tweet from 2 weeks ago)
Link to tweet
JAXA is providing live English translated coverage here, with various science/space content since the landing is not for some hours.
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Earlier tonight, Japan's Hayabusa-2 spacecraft paid a call on Earth to drop off its box of rocks... (Original Post)
Princess Turandot
Dec 2020
OP
electric_blue68
(14,506 posts)1. Cool! Thx. Interestingly shaped asteroid, too.
Judi Lynn
(160,076 posts)2. Wowie. Thank you. n/t
muriel_volestrangler
(101,082 posts)3. Asteroid capsule located in Australian desert
Link to tweet
Screaming towards Earth at 11km/s, it deployed parachutes to slow its descent. The capsule then began transmitting a beacon with information about its position.
The spacecraft touched down on the vast Woomera range, operated by the Royal Australian Air Force.
At around 18:07 GMT, the recovering team identified where the capsule had landed. A helicopter, equipped with an antenna to pick up the beacon, took to the air shortly afterwards to hunt for the container.
The capsule is now being taken to a "quick-look facility" for inspection before being airlifted to Japan.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55201662
The spacecraft touched down on the vast Woomera range, operated by the Royal Australian Air Force.
At around 18:07 GMT, the recovering team identified where the capsule had landed. A helicopter, equipped with an antenna to pick up the beacon, took to the air shortly afterwards to hunt for the container.
Link to tweet
The capsule is now being taken to a "quick-look facility" for inspection before being airlifted to Japan.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55201662
nitpicker
(7,153 posts)4. Hayabusa-2: Capsule with asteroid samples in 'perfect' shape
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55201662
Hayabusa-2: Capsule with asteroid samples in 'perfect' shape
By Paul Rincon
Published2 hours ago
A capsule containing the first significant quantities of rock from an asteroid is in "perfect" shape, according to scientists.
The container with material from a space rock called Ryugu parachuted down near Woomera in South Australia on Saturday evening (GMT).
A recovery team in Australia found the spacecraft lying on the sandy ground, with its parachute draped over a tree.
(snip)
Hayabusa-2: Capsule with asteroid samples in 'perfect' shape
By Paul Rincon
Published2 hours ago
A capsule containing the first significant quantities of rock from an asteroid is in "perfect" shape, according to scientists.
The container with material from a space rock called Ryugu parachuted down near Woomera in South Australia on Saturday evening (GMT).
A recovery team in Australia found the spacecraft lying on the sandy ground, with its parachute draped over a tree.
(snip)