https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/21/asia/japan-asteroid-sample-scli-intl/index.html
(CNN)A Japanese space probe has fired a "bullet" into an asteroid as part of a mission to collect rock samples from the celestial body.
The projectile will disturb material from the exterior of asteroid Ryugu which will then float from its surface due to the weak gravitational field.
These particles will be collected by the probe and eventually brought back to Earth, according to Japanese space agency JAXA, which announced that the Hayabusa 2 craft successfully touched down on on the asteroid on Friday morning Japanese time.
JAXA scientists had expected to find a powdery surface on Ryugu, but tests showed that the asteroid is covered in larger gravel.
As a result the team had to carry out a simulation to test whether the projectile would be capable of disturbing enough material to be collected by what scientists call a "sample horn," which protrudes from the underside of the probe.
(CNN)A Japanese space probe has fired a "bullet" into an asteroid as part of a mission to collect rock samples from the celestial body.
The projectile will disturb material from the exterior of asteroid Ryugu which will then float from its surface due to the weak gravitational field.
These particles will be collected by the probe and eventually brought back to Earth, according to Japanese space agency JAXA, which announced that the Hayabusa 2 craft successfully touched down on on the asteroid on Friday morning Japanese time.
JAXA scientists had expected to find a powdery surface on Ryugu, but tests showed that the asteroid is covered in larger gravel.
As a result the team had to carry out a simulation to test whether the projectile would be capable of disturbing enough material to be collected by what scientists call a "sample horn," which protrudes from the underside of the probe.
