All Questions
Tagged with sample-return probe
3
questions
28
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Why is tantalum being used for the Hayabusa bullets?
The Hayabusa 2 probe is firing tantalum bullets at the asteroid Ryugu to knock off material that can be sampled. Why was tantalum chosen? That’s a pretty obscure element and I would assume rather rare....
- 11.4k
6
votes
1
answer
753
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The practicalities of a rock sampling mission to Venus
The planet Venus has hostile conditions: a surface temperature of 462 °C, a corrosive atmosphere and a surface atmospheric pressure 92 times that of the Earth.
During the Soviet era, the Russians ...
- 13.1k
6
votes
0
answers
180
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How could a minimal sample return only from the plumes of an ice moon, Ceres or Io be designed?
Would it be feasible and would it make sense to minimalistically design a sample-return-only mission (or class of missions) along these lines:
Light weight plume collecting aerogel (like the Stardust ...
- 27k