The geomorphology, color, and thermal properties of Ryugu: Implications for parent-body processes

Hayabusa2 at the asteroid Ryugu Asteroids fall to Earth in the form of meteorites, but these provide little information about their origins. The Japanese mission Hayabusa2 is designed to collect samples directly from the surface of an asteroid and return them to Earth for laboratory analysis. Three papers in this issue describe the Hayabusa2 team's study of the near-Earth carbonaceous asteroid 162173 Ryugu, at which the spacecraft arrived in June 2018 (see the Perspective by Wurm). Watanabe et al. measured the asteroid's mass, shape, and density, showing that it is a “rubble pile” of loose rocks, formed into a spinning-top shape during a prior period of rapid spin. They also identified suitable landing sites…

• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  Awards: NNX17AB36G, NNX16AK77G, NNM10AA11C
• SA
  Science and Technology Facilities Council

  Awards: ST/S001271/1, ST/S001271/1
• JS
  Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

  Awards: JP17H01175, JP16H04044, JP26287108, JP17KK0097, JP25120006, JP25120009, JP17H06459, JP17K05639