**\u00a0JAXA Hayabusa2<\/a> made a successful 2nd sample grab<\/strong> from asteroid Ryugu on July 11th. The :<\/p>\n From SFN:<\/p>\n The robot explorer\u2019s sampling mechanism works by firing a metal bullet into the asteroid once the probe\u2019s sampler horn, which extends from one side of the spacecraft, contacts the surface. The projectile is designed to blast away rock and dust on the asteroid\u2019s surface, then direct the material through the sampler horn into a collection chamber inside the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft.<\/em><\/p>\n This image shows debris thrown up from the surface of Ryugu by the bullet.<\/p>\n A diagram of the touch-and-go surface sampling operation:<\/p>\n More about the The 2nd touchdown – JAXA Hayabusa2 project<\/a><\/p>\n ** Help OSIRIS-REx mission map the rugged surface of the Bennu<\/a><\/strong> asteroid\u00a0 NASA Invites Public to Help Asteroid Mission Choose Sample Site | NASA<\/a><\/p>\n Citizen scientists assemble! NASA\u2019s OSIRIS-REx mission to the asteroid Bennu needs extra pairs of eyes to help choose its sample collection site on the asteroid \u2013 and to look for anything else that might be scientifically interesting.<\/em><\/p>\n The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has been at Bennu since Dec. 3, 2018, mapping the asteroid in detail, while the mission team searches for a sample collection site that is safe, conducive to sample collection and worthy of closer study. One of the biggest challenges of this effort, which the team discovered after arriving at the asteroid five months ago, is that Bennu has an extremely rocky surface and each boulder presents a danger to the spacecraft\u2019s safety. To expedite the sample selection process, the team is asking citizen scientist volunteers to develop a hazard map by counting boulders.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cFor the safety of the spacecraft, the mission team needs a comprehensive catalog of all the boulders near the potential sample collection sites, and I invite members of the public to assist the OSIRIS-REx mission team in accomplishing this essential task,\u201d said Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona, Tucson.<\/em><\/p>\n For this effort, NASA is partnering with CosmoQuest<\/a>, a project run out of the Planetary Science Institute that supports citizen science initiatives. Volunteers will perform the same tasks that planetary scientists do \u2013 measuring Bennu\u2019s boulders and mapping its rocks and craters \u2013 through the use of a simple web interface. They will also mark other scientifically interesting features on the asteroid for further investigation.<\/em><\/p>\n The boulder mapping work involves a high degree of precision, but it is not difficult. The CosmoQuest mapping app requires a computer with a larger screen and a mouse or trackpad capable of making precise marks. To help volunteers get started, the CosmoQuest team provides an interactive tutorial, as well as additional user assistance through a Discord community and livestreaming sessions on Twitch.<\/em><\/p>\n For more info see:<\/p>\n Microgravity Science & Technology R&D<\/strong><\/p>\n ** SpaceX Cargo Dragon to deliver wide range of science and technology experiments<\/strong> to the ISS. Liftoff of mission CRS-18 is currently set for July 21st at 7:35 pm EDT (2335 GMT)<\/p>\n Highlights of Science Launching on SpaceX CRS 18 – July 8, 2019 –<\/p>\n\n
![\"Hayabusa2](\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/fig11.png\")
<\/a>![\"Outline](\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/fig2e1-1024x562.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"Bennu](\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/pdco-20190321-top-down1.jpg\")
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