Science Museum Unveils Asteroid Sample with Insights into Solar System Origins
The Science Museum in London has unveiled a small grain from asteroid Ryugu in its Space Gallery. The display was introduced this week by Prof Masaki Fujimoto of JAXA's ISAS institute, alongside Sir Ian Blatchford, museum director, and other officials. The 1.7-2.1 mm fragment, collected by Japan's Hayabusa2 mission, contains water and all five genetic code components, offering clues about how life's building blocks reached Earth. Research using X-ray tomography reveals its primordial composition, dating back 4.6 billion years. The exhibit connects to broader scientific efforts, including ESA's upcoming ARIEL mission to study exoplanet atmospheres and JAXA's planned sample-return missions.
Key facts
- A Ryugu asteroid grain is now displayed at London's Science Museum Space Gallery
- The sample contains water, salts, organic matter, and all five DNA/RNA nucleobases
- It was collected by JAXA's Hayabusa2 mission, which returned to Earth in December 2020
- Analysis suggests such asteroids may have delivered water and organic materials to early Earth
- The display coincides with upcoming missions like ESA's ARIEL telescope and JAXA's MMX Phobos sample return
Entities
Institutions
- Science Museum
- JAXA
- ISAS
- Natural History Museum
- European Space Agency
- NASA
- UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory
Locations
- London
- Woomera
- Japan
- Chile
- Oxfordshire