The Japanese spacecraft "Hayabusa2" plans to return the capsule containing the sand of the asteroid "Ryugu" to the desert area in southern Australia on the early morning of the 6th of Japan time.
It is expected that the capsules can be observed falling while emitting light in the night sky in the surrounding area.
"Hayabusa2" separated the capsule that seems to contain the sand of the asteroid "Ryugu" that was explored on the afternoon of the 5th of Japan time, and the capsule rushed into the atmosphere around 2:30 am on the 6th, in about 20 minutes. We plan to land in the desert area of southern Australia.
Near the landing site of the capsule, the local headquarters of JAXA = Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has been set up, and the people concerned are making final preparations to recover the capsule safely.
Of these, in the clean room where the capsules are brought in immediately after collection, work is to be done to check whether the capsules contain gas that is not of earth origin before bringing it back to Japan, and the person in charge is supposed to do gas. I carefully checked the equipment used for the analysis of.
The Australian Army is also cooperating in the return and recovery of the capsules, and in the military control room near the landing site, check for flying objects in the sky so that the capsules can return safely, and more. In order to determine the exact landing point, it was tracked by the military's own radar, and a production-like simulation was performed to provide information to JAXA.
The Hayabusa2 capsule is scheduled to land in the desert area at around 2:50 am on the 6th of Japan time, and it is expected that the capsule will fall in the night sky while shining light.
Expectations for collaboration with Japan in the Australian space field
This time, the southern desert area where the Hayabusa2 capsule will land is a base for space development in Australia, and artificial satellites have been launched so far.
In recent years, the Australian government has been strengthening its national space policy against the backdrop of the growth of the global space industry, and has recently created the "Space Agency".
At the opening ceremony of the Space Agency held in February in the central city of Adelaide, South Australia, where the capsule landing point is located, Prime Minister Morrison also attended, "Now that job creation is the most important, the space industry is It is one of the fastest growing areas in the world, "he stressed, aiming to create 20,000 jobs in the space industry by 2030.
Australia has a thriving mining industry such as coal and iron ore, but we want to utilize the technology of remote control systems used for mining etc. for space development, and we have high expectations for Japan as a partner for technology development.
In July, the Australian Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) signed a memorandum of understanding to promote cooperation in areas such as space technology and education, and after the summit meeting between Prime Minister Morrison and Prime Minister Suga last month. The joint statement confirms that the two countries will strengthen their cooperation in the space field.
In an interview with NHK, Deputy Secretary of the Australian Space Agency, Mr. Murfett, said, "Because the world has faced difficulties with the new coronavirus, the mission of Hayabusa2 is hopeful for people in Japan, Australia, and around the world. I hope it will give you a positive feeling. "
For space-related work in the future
There is growing interest in Australia, where the capsules of the Japanese spacecraft "Hayabusa2" will land before returning to Earth on the 6th.
Last month, in the suburbs of Sydney, the largest city, an event was held for elementary school students to learn about space, and about 30 children made a paper craft of "Hayabusa2" that fits in the palm of their hand and learned about "Hayabusa2".
Jessica Creskey (18), who acted as a lecturer at the event, has loved astronomical observation since she was a child, and since she learned that the Hayabusa2 capsule will land in her hometown of Australia, she has been collecting information about the project on the Internet. Say it.
Regarding this capsule return, Mr. Creskey said, "Capsule return will be a part of Australia's history. I hope that asteroid samples will give us a better understanding of the universe and provide useful information about the Earth." I was talking.
Mr. Creskey, who just graduated from high school last month, has a dream of going to university and getting a space-related job in the future, and with Japan's JAXA = Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, which is promoting the "Hayabusa2" project. I want to do a job that involves me.
Mr. Creskey plans to watch the capsule return on the 6th from his home in Sydney via live streaming on the Internet, saying, "I pray that the capsule will return safely. I support JAXA on that day." It was.