June 13, 2022
On this date in 2010, Hayabusa became the first spacecraft to return to Earth with samples from an asteroid. This Japanese mission visited the asteroid Itokawa and completed two landings and ascents to collect samples. As it returned to Earth, it ejected the sample capsule which was protected by a heat shield. Scientists found only 1,500 small grains were returned from the asteroid. The science conducted using these grains showed that ordinary chondrite meteorites come from asteroids such as Itokawa.
These images show the asteroid Itokawa (bottom) and a close-up view of the unconsolidated gravel on the asteroids surface (top). Image credit: ISAS/JAXA/University of Tokyo