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

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

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.

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