A space mission to a nearby asteroid launched in 2005 has yielded some interesting clues about earth\u2019s early formation.\u00a0Japanese scientists on that mission report today in the journal Science that despite retrieving a very small sample from the nearby Itokawa asteroid, the knowledge gained is huge.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a great achievement for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency,\u201d said Humberto Campins, a professor at the University of Central Florida and international expert on asteroids and comets. \u201cThe analysis of the Itokawa asteroid sample illustrates the wealth of information that can be obtained even from very small samples and sets the stage nicely for NASA\u2019s OSIRIS REx mission, which is to sample a more primitive asteroid. That asteroid should help us understand the role asteroids played in the origin of Earth\u2019s oceans and life.\u201d<\/p>\n
What scientists found in the Itokawa sample is unequivocal evidence that this type of asteroid is the parent of ordinary chondrites \u2013 the most common type of meteorites found on earth. Space weather morphs asteroid fragments and when they enter earth\u2019s atmosphere they burn up, changing their chemical nature a bit. That\u2019s why they are referred to as meteorites. The Japanese\u2019s pristine sample has helped distinguish the original material on the rock and how it changed when it entered earth\u2019s atmosphere. That is helpful to understanding the origin and evolution of the planet and the solar system.
\nAlthough technical glitches caused the Japanese space mission to collect a smaller sample size than had been intended, Campins said the knowledge gained offers great insight and only makes him more eager to see NASA\u2019s own asteroid mission take place.<\/p>\n
The OSIRIS-REx mission, which targets a primitive asteroid, is scheduled to launch in 2016. Campins is part of that scientific team and believes the sample collected may hold important clues to understanding the illusive question of how the earth got its oceans.<\/p>\n