An iron-clad asteroid

Phys.org ^ | February 28, 2020 | Friedrich Schiller University of Jena

[BenLurkin]

The Japanese space agency JAXA sent the Hayabusa probe to Itokawa, which collected soil samples and brought them safely back to Earth—for the first time in the history of space travel. This valuable cargo arrived in 2010 and since then, the samples have been the subject of intensive research.

A team from Japan and Jena has now succeeded in coaxing a previously undiscovered secret from some of these tiny sample particles: the surface of the dust grains is covered with tiny wafer-thin crystals of iron. This observation surprised Prof. Falko Langenhorst and Dr. Dennis Harries of Friedrich Schiller University in Jena.

After all...research teams all over the world have exhaustively studied the structure and chemical composition of the dust particles from Itokawa, and no one had noticed the iron 'whiskers.' It was only when Japanese researcher Dr. Toru Matsumoto, who is spending a year as a visiting scientist with the Analytical Mineralogy group at the Institute of Geosciences in Jena, examined the particles with a transmission electron microscope that he was able to locate the crystals using high-resolution images.

This discovery is exciting not only because the tiny iron 'whiskers'—which have since been shown on other particles from the asteroid as well—had previously been missed. Of particular interest is how they were formed. ... In addition to rocks, high-energy particles from the solar wind also strike the asteroid's surface, thus weathering it. An important constituent of the asteroid is the mineral troilite, in which iron and sulphur are bound. "As a result of space weathering, the iron is released from the troilite and deposited on the surface in the form of the needles that have now been discovered"... The sulphur from the iron sulphide then evaporates into the surrounding vacuum in the form of gaseous sulphur compounds.

[ptsal]

Interesting post
Thanks

[texas booster]

... and no one had noticed the iron ‘whiskers.’

(That's because they weren't there. The asteroid soil, it's Aliiiivvee!)

</ bad movies off>

[Larry Lucido]

[decal]

"The sulphur from the iron sulphide then evaporates into the surrounding vacuum in the form of gaseous sulphur compounds."

Asteroids smell like the campfire scene in Blazing Saddles then.

[chrisser]

Based on the prices at the local scrap yard for ferrous metal, I’m pretty confident I wont be investing in asteroid iron mining.

[jimtorr]

A few years ago my BIL gave up on a project car and called a ‘recycler’ to sell the hulk for scrap. He was shocked to be offered only $150.

[Mogger]

Based on the prices at the local scrap yard for ferrous metal, I’m pretty confident I wont be investing in asteroid iron mining.

It's no just what is found, but where it is located that matters

If you want to build structures in space, you need materials.

Due to gravity, transporting them from earth is horribly expensive.

Transporting materials from one location of low or no gravity to another is relatively cheap.

Smelting in space is easy due to unlimited solar power.

[Pollster1]

Imagine this story with just a couple of changes:

The Chinese space agency CNSA sent the Starship SN1 probe to Itokawa, which collected soil samples and brought them safely back to Earth—for the first time in the history of space travel. This valuable cargo arrived in Hubei Province, China, in early December, 2019, and since then, the samples have been the subject of intensive research. A team from Hubei and Beijing has now succeeded in coaxing a previously undiscovered secret from some of these tiny sample particles: the surface of the dust grains is covered with tiny wafer-thin life-like particles. This observation surprised Prof. Peng Yinhua ...

[RoosterRedux]

++

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BenLurkin. Rock around the clock!

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