The science from asteroid sample return missionsOPEN ACCESS 

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Elizabeth J. Tasker, Harold C. Connolly Jr, Shogo Tachibana

review article, accepted for publication in Contemporary Physics, 24 April 2026

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“To date, three samples from near-Earth asteroids have been delivered to Earth by Japan’s Hayabusa (2010) and Hayabusa2 (2020) missions, and the United States OSIRIS-REx mission (2023). Free from terrestrial contamination, these pristine materials provide new opportunities to investigate planetary formation processes, the delivery of organics and water to the early Earth, and the nature of potentially hazardous asteroids. As analysis of the asteroid samples proceeds in laboratories around the world, we visit each of the missions, review the initial scientific findings, and explore the value of sample return in understanding our origins and protecting our future.”

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