On August 22, 2024, a portion of the sample collected from asteroid Bennu by NASA's asteroid sample return mission, OSIRIS-REx, was handed over to the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science from the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The handover and signing took place at the Sagamihara Campus between Dr. Usui Tomohiro, Astromaterials Science Research Group Manager at the JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, and Dr. Francis McCubbin, Astromaterials Curator from NASA's Johnson Space Center.
According to the agreement between JAXA's Hayabusa2 and NASA's OSIRIS-REx missions, JAXA was to receive 0.5% of the total weight of the Bennu sample within a year of its return to Earth.
OSIRIS-REx, NASA's first asteroid sample return mission, aimed to collect and return samples from the B-type asteroid, Bennu. The samples are expected to provide clues about components important to the origins of life and the formation of our Solar System. Launched in 2016, the spacecraft arrived at its target, asteroid Bennu, in 2018 and successfully collected surface materials in 2020. Finally, on September 24, 2023, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft delivered to Earth 121.6 grams of samples from Bennu.
JAXA will not only distribute the Bennu samples through an open call for proposals, but also lead the strategic sample distribution. The initial reports on the Bennu sample analysis by the OSIRIS-REx team revealed the similarities between Bennu and Ryugu samples, making comparative study increasingly important. Comparative research is expected to shed light on new details regarding our Solar System by the sample return mission. Building on the experience gained from "Hayabusa" and "Hayabusa2," JAXA will distribute the Bennu samples to ensure more effective research while also paving the way for the development of curation technology for future missions with the aim of maximizing the scientific outcomes of all returned samples.
【Comment from Usui Tomohiro, Astromaterials Science Research Group Manager, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), JAXA】
Thank you for safely bringing the precious asteroid samples from Bennu to Earth and then to Japan. We have confirmed that the samples were meticulously treated under strict management at NASA's Johnson Space Center before being distributed to Japan. As fellow curators, we understand the tension and responsibility that accompany these tasks. On August 22, with the presence of both NASA and JAXA representatives, the representativeness and unprocessed state of the distributed samples have been verified according to the agreement between the two agencies, and they have been successfully handed over to JAXA. Now, it is our turn at JAXA. We will go ahead with our plans to derive significant scientific outcomes from these valuable samples.
【Comment from Yada Toru, Associate Senior Researcher, Astromaterials Science Research Group, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), JAXA】
We are delighted to announce the successful distribution of the OSIRIS-REx samples to JAXA. Since the sample return in September last year, the NASA/JSC curation team has made extraordinary efforts to overcome challenges such as the difficulty of removing the bolts from sample container, and has steadily met significant milestones such as the catalog release in March this year and the initiation of international announcement of opportunity.
As someone involved in the curation of Hayabusa2 at JAXA, I have the utmost respect and admiration for the incredible diligence and commitment the team has shown in resolving issues and adhering to the schedule. Here at JAXA Curation, as we take on the baton handed to us, we are fully committed to continuing the curation work for OSIRIS-REx samples with utmost diligence.
【Comment from Nishimura Masahiro, Associate Senior Researcher, Astromaterials Science Research Group, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), JAXA】
We (the Astromaterials Science Research Group) have been eagerly preparing for this day, fully prepared for the tasks ahead. In curating the OSIRIS-REx samples, we will reassess our knowledge gained from previous missions, "Hayabusa" and "Hayabusa2", proactively applying these insights for the future return sample missions. More specifically, we have refined our sample management system and worked towards the standardization and quantification of management quality. Advanced technologies enabled us to achieve precision in early description and cataloguing of the samples. Furthermore, the plan is to make diverse data available publicly. We will continue our efforts in contributing to the Solar System science community, and also make efforts to bring the marvel of Bennu samples and their scientific findings closer to the general public.
【Comment from Kathleen Vander Kaaden, Chief Scientist for Astromaterials Curation, NASA Headquarters】
We value our continued collaboration with JAXA on asteroid sample return missions to both increase our science return and reduce risk on these and other missions. JAXA has extensive curation capabilities, and we look forward to what we will learn from the shared analysis of the OSIRIS-REx samples.
The signature exchange for the transfer of the Bennu sample, which took place on August 22 at JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (Sagamihara Campus). (credit: JAXA)
Observing the samples via a window of the Eagle container. NASA and JAXA curators were confirming the samples based on the microscopic image displayed on the monitor. (credit: JAXA)
Bennu samples in the bulk sample container (credit: JAXA).