Returned sample
Ryugu Sample (Hayabusa2)
5.4 grams of surface and subsurface material from the carbonaceous asteroid 162173 Ryugu, returned by Hayabusa2 in 2020. The pristine, water- and organic-bearing grains contain amino acids and predate the Solar System's planets.
Sample facts
- Source body
- 162173 Ryugu
- Returned by
- Hayabusa2
- Returned mass
- 5.4 g
- Analysis
- Curated at JAXA; found to contain water-bearing minerals and amino acids.
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.