Masaki Fujimoto

Abstract C-type asteroids¹ are considered to be primitive small Solar System bodies enriched in water and organics, providing clues to the origin and evolution of the Solar System and the building blocks of life. C-type asteroid 162173 Ryugu has been characterized by remote sensing^2–7 and on-asteroid measurements^8,9 with Hayabusa2 (ref. ¹⁰). However, the ground truth provided by laboratory analysis of returned samples is invaluable to determine the fine properties of asteroids and other planetary bodies. We report preliminary results of analyses on returned samples from Ryugu of the particle size distribution, density and porosity, spectral properties and textural properties, and the results of a search for Ca–Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) and chondrules. The bulk sample mainly consists of rugged and smooth particles of millimetre to submillimetre size, confirming that the physical and chemical properties were not altered during the return from the asteroid. The power index of its size distribution is shallower than that of the surface boulder observed on Ryugu¹¹, indicating differences in the returned Ryugu samples. The average of the estimated bulk densities of Ryugu sample particles is 1,282 ± 231 kg m⁻³, which is lower than that of meteorites¹², suggesting a high microporosity down to the millimetre scale, extending centimetre-scale estimates from thermal measurements^5,9. The extremely dark optical to near-infrared reflectance and spectral profile with weak absorptions at 2.7 and 3.4 μm imply a carbonaceous composition with indigenous aqueous alteration, matching the global average of Ryugu^3,4 and confirming that the sample is representative of the asteroid. Together with the absence of submillimetre CAIs and chondrules, these features indicate that Ryugu is most similar to CI chondrites but has lower albedo, higher porosity and more fragile characteristics.

GEO-X (GEOspace X-ray imager) is a 50 kg-class small satellite to image the global Earth's magnetosphere in X-rays via solar wind charge exchange emission. A 12U CubeSat will be injected into an elliptical orbit with an apogee distance of similar to 40 Earth radii. In order to observe the diffuse soft X-ray emission in 0.3-2 keV and to verify X-ray imaging of the dayside structures of the magnetosphere such as cusps, magnetosheaths and magnetopauses which are identified statistically by in-situ satellite observations, an original light-weight X-ray imaging spectrometer (similar to 10 kg, similar to 10 W, similar to 10x10x30 cm) will be carried. The payload is composed of a ultra light-weight MEMS Wolter type-I telescope (similar to 4x4 deg(2) FOV, <10 arcmin resolution) and a high speed CMOS sensor with a thin optical blocking filter (similar to 2x2 cm(2), frame rate similar to 20 ms, energy resolution <80 eV FWHM at 0.6 keV). An aimed launch year is 2023-25 corresponding to the 25th solar maximum.