Returned sample
Itokawa Sample (Hayabusa)
More than 1,500 microscopic grains from the S-type asteroid 25143 Itokawa, returned by Hayabusa in 2010 — the first sample ever returned from an asteroid. The grains tied ordinary (LL) chondrite meteorites to S-type asteroids and showed signs of space weathering.
Sample facts
- Source body
- 25143 Itokawa
- Returned by
- Hayabusa
- Returned mass
- Sub-milligram total (more than 1,500 grains)
- Analysis
- Curated at JAXA; distributed to laboratories worldwide.
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- JAXAJapan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Japanese missions (Hayabusa, Akatsuki) and space science.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.