162173 Ryugu

Uracil found in Ryugu samples

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Comparison, Amine, Life, Bennu, Hayabusa2, Nature Communications, Asteroid, Spacecraft, Temperature, RNA, Dicarboxylic acid, Associate, Formaldehyde, Vitamin, Vitamin B3, Capsule, Protein, Niacin, Metabolism, NASA, Hydrogen cyanide, OSIRIS, Ammonia, Hokkaido University, Uracil, Phosphorus, Sulfur, 162173 Ryugu, Earth

SAPPORO, Japan, March 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers have analyzed samples of asteroid Ryugu collected by the Japanese Space Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft and found uracil—one of the informational units that make up RNA, the molecules that contain the instructions for how to build and operate living organisms. Nicotinic acid, also known as Vitamin B3 or niacin, which is an important cofactor for metabolism in living organisms, was also detected in the same samples.

Key Points: 
  • "Since the Hayabusa2 spacecraft collected two samples directly from asteroid Ryugu and delivered them to Earth in sealed capsules, contamination can be ruled out."
  • The team hypothesizes that the difference in concentrations in the two samples, collected from different locations on Ryugu, is likely due to the exposure to the extreme environments of space.
  • While these were not detected in the Ryugu samples, they are known to be present in cometary ice—and Ryugu could have originated as a comet or another parent body which had been present in low temperature environments.
  • "The discovery of uracil in the samples from Ryugu lends strength to current theories regarding the source of nucleobases in the early Earth," Oba concludes.

Uracil found in Ryugu samples

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Comparison, Amine, Life, Bennu, Hayabusa2, Nature Communications, Asteroid, Spacecraft, Temperature, RNA, Dicarboxylic acid, Associate, Formaldehyde, Vitamin, Vitamin B3, Capsule, Protein, Niacin, Metabolism, NASA, Hydrogen cyanide, OSIRIS, Ammonia, Hokkaido University, Uracil, Phosphorus, Sulfur, 162173 Ryugu, Earth

SAPPORO, Japan, March 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers have analyzed samples of asteroid Ryugu collected by the Japanese Space Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft and found uracil—one of the informational units that make up RNA, the molecules that contain the instructions for how to build and operate living organisms. Nicotinic acid, also known as Vitamin B3 or niacin, which is an important cofactor for metabolism in living organisms, was also detected in the same samples.

Key Points: 
  • "Since the Hayabusa2 spacecraft collected two samples directly from asteroid Ryugu and delivered them to Earth in sealed capsules, contamination can be ruled out."
  • The team hypothesizes that the difference in concentrations in the two samples, collected from different locations on Ryugu, is likely due to the exposure to the extreme environments of space.
  • While these were not detected in the Ryugu samples, they are known to be present in cometary ice—and Ryugu could have originated as a comet or another parent body which had been present in low temperature environments.
  • "The discovery of uracil in the samples from Ryugu lends strength to current theories regarding the source of nucleobases in the early Earth," Oba concludes.

Renesas’ Intersil-Brand Radiation-Hardened ICs Onboard the Hayabusa2 Six-Year Asteroid Samples Retrieval Mission

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 25, 2021
Other Manufacturing, Technology, Semiconductor, Automotive, General Automotive, Satellite, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Hardware, Consumer electronics, Spaceflight, Spacecraft, In Japan, Hayabusa2, 162173 Ryugu, Outer space, Intersil, Renesas Electronics, JAXA, Hayabusa, H-IIA

Operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Hayabusa2 launched onboard the H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center on December 3, 2014.

Key Points: 
  • Operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Hayabusa2 launched onboard the H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center on December 3, 2014.
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210225005273/en/
    Renesas' Intersil Brand ICs Onboard Hayabusa2 Spacecraft (Graphic: Business Wire)
    Arriving at the Ryugu asteroid on June 27, 2018, the Hayabusa2 asteroid samples retrieval mission was designed to explore the origins of the planets, the water of Earths oceans and source of life.
  • Renesas Intersil-brand rad-hard ICs were deployed throughout the Hayabusa2 spacecraft.
  • Our industry leading rad-hard ICs managed several Hayabusa 2 spaceflight subsystems, said Philip Chesley, Vice President, Industrial and Communications Business Division at Renesas.