https://youtu.be/-3hO58HFa1M

From https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190312.html

Last month, humanity bounced a robot off an asteroid. The main reason was to collect a surface sample. Despite concern over finding a safely reboundable touchdown spot, Japan’s robotic Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully touched down — and bounced right back from — asteroid Ryugu. Before impact, Hayabusa2 fired a small bullet into 162173 Ryugu to scattered surface material and increase the chance that Hayabusa2 would be able to capture some. Next month, Hayabusa2 will fire a much larger bullet into Ryugu in an effort to capture sub-surface material. Near the end of this year, Hayabusa2 is scheduled to depart Ryugu and begin a looping trip back to Earth, hopefully returning small pieces of this near-Earth asteroid in late 2020.

mollwollfumble said:

https://youtu.be/-3hO58HFa1M

From https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190312.html

Last month, humanity bounced a robot off an asteroid. The main reason was to collect a surface sample. Despite concern over finding a safely reboundable touchdown spot, Japan’s robotic Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully touched down — and bounced right back from — asteroid Ryugu. Before impact, Hayabusa2 fired a small bullet into 162173 Ryugu to scattered surface material and increase the chance that Hayabusa2 would be able to capture some. Next month, Hayabusa2 will fire a much larger bullet into Ryugu in an effort to capture sub-surface material. Near the end of this year, Hayabusa2 is scheduled to depart Ryugu and begin a looping trip back to Earth, hopefully returning small pieces of this near-Earth asteroid in late 2020.

Do you know if they collected any oif the material dislodged by the driving jets? That’s where most of the material comes from. I didn’t see the bullet impact, it was supposed to be about 4 metres (?) above the surface before touchdown.

mollwollfumble said:

mollwollfumble said:

https://youtu.be/-3hO58HFa1M

From https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190312.html

Last month, humanity bounced a robot off an asteroid. The main reason was to collect a surface sample. Despite concern over finding a safely reboundable touchdown spot, Japan’s robotic Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully touched down — and bounced right back from — asteroid Ryugu. Before impact, Hayabusa2 fired a small bullet into 162173 Ryugu to scattered surface material and increase the chance that Hayabusa2 would be able to capture some. Next month, Hayabusa2 will fire a much larger bullet into Ryugu in an effort to capture sub-surface material. Near the end of this year, Hayabusa2 is scheduled to depart Ryugu and begin a looping trip back to Earth, hopefully returning small pieces of this near-Earth asteroid in late 2020.

Do you know if they collected any oif the material dislodged by the driving jets? That’s where most of the material comes from. I didn’t see the bullet impact, it was supposed to be about 4 metres (?) above the surface before touchdown.

Oh, the bullet was fired inside the leg of the spacecraft. That’s why we can’t see it. I suppose they think that material brought up by the driving jets would be contaminated by the exhaust gases. Fair enough.