About 3 grams (0.1 ounce) of the black granules are from Ryugu's surface and were gathered when Hayabusa2 touched down on the asteroid in April 2019. AdBased on near-infrared spectrophotometer analysis of data transmitted by Hayabusa2, JAXA scientists found that the asteroid was exposed to extremely high temperatures both on its surface and underground, possibly caused by an internal source of heat or planetary collisions rather than heat from the sun. Kohei Kitazato, a University of Aizu planetary scientist working with JAXA, said his team found indications of heat exceeding 300 degrees Celsius (572 degrees Fahrenheit) both on the asteroid surface and underground. AdJAXA is continuing an initial examination of the asteroid samples ahead of fuller studies next year. Following studies in Japan, some of the samples will be shared with NASA and other international space agencies for additional research.

(JAXA via AP)TOKYO – They resemble small fragments of charcoal, but the soil samples collected from an asteroid and returned to Earth by a Japanese spacecraft were hardly disappointing. The sandy granules the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency described last week were from the spacecraft's first touchdown in April 2019. The larger fragments were from the compartment allocated for the second touchdown on Ryugu, said Tomohiro Usui, space materials scientist. “One possibility is that the place of the second touchdown was a hard bedrock and larger particles broke and entered the compartment." JAXA is continuing the initial examination of the asteroid samples ahead of fuller studies next year.

FILE - This computer graphics file image released by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) shows the Hayabusa2 spacecraft above the asteroid Ryugu. (ISAS/JAXA via AP, File)TOKYO – Japanese space agency officials were delighted Tuesday by the return of a small capsule containing asteroid soil samples obtained by their Hayabusa2 spacecraft and were anxiously waiting to look inside after preparations are complete. Hayabusa2 dropped the capsule from space and it landed as planned in the Australian Outback over the weekend. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the capsule, tightly sealed and carefully stored in a container box, arrived at its research facility in Sagamihara, near Tokyo, for analysis. Launched in December 2014, the unmanned Hayabusa2 spacecraft touched down twice last year on the asteroid.

Hayabusa2 left the asteroid Ryugu, about 300 million kilometers (180 million miles) from Earth, a year ago. The return of the capsule with the world’s first asteroid subsurface samples comes weeks after NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft made a successful touch-and-go grab of surface samples from the asteroid Bennu. JAXA officials said the Ryugu samples will be handled in clean chambers to avoid any impact on the samples. Hayabusa2 released the capsule on Saturday from 220,000 kilometers (136,700 miles) away in space, sending it toward Earth. Since its Dec. 3, 2014, launch, the Hayabusa2 mission has been fully successful.

In this photo provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), a capsule, center, dropped by Hayabusa2 is seen before being retrieved in Woomera, southern Australia, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020. The spacecraft Hayabusa2 released the small capsule on Saturday and sent it toward Earth to deliver samples from a distant asteroid. The capsule's return came weeks after NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft made a successful touch-and-go grab of surface samples from the asteroid Bennu. After it released the capsule on Saturday, it set off on a new expedition to another distant asteroid. JAXA hopes to find clues to how the materials are distributed in the solar system and are related to life on Earth.

FILE - This computer graphics image released by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) shows the Hayabusa2 spacecraft above the asteroid Ryugu. (ISAS/JAXA via AP, File)TOKYO – Japanese space agency officials said Friday the Hayabusa2 spacecraft is on its intended trajectory as it approaches Earth to deliver a capsule containing samples from a distant asteroid that could provide clues to the origin of the solar system and life on Earth. The spacecraft left the asteroid Ryugu, about 300 million kilometers (180 million miles) away, a year ago. JAXA hopes to find clues to how the materials are distributed in the solar system and are related to life on Earth. Asteroids, which orbit the sun but are much smaller than planets, are among the oldest objects in the solar system and therefore may help explain how Earth evolved.

FILE - This computer graphics image released by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) shows the Hayabusa2 spacecraft above the asteroid Ryugu. The Japanese spacecraft is nearing Earth after a yearlong journey home from a distant asteroid carrying soil samples and data that could provide clues to the origins of the solar system, a space agency official said Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. Makoto Yoshikawa, a Hayabusa2 project mission manager, said scientists are especially interested in analyzing organic materials in the Ryugu soil samples. Scientists said there are traces of carbon and organic matter in the asteroid soil samples. JAXA hopes to find clues to how the materials are distributed in the solar system and are related to life on Earth.