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(dramatic orchestral music)

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Today, the Earth is blessed

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with 30 million species of life,

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but soon after the Earth formed,

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it was covered in magma.

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Scorching hot planet.

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Neither life, nor the ingredients

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that would evolve into life.

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How did life come into existence on this planet?

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In search of answers to this mystery,

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the space probe Hayabusa2,

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was sent to an astroid 300 million kilometers off in space.

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The key to unlocking the mystery of life on Earth,

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may be found there.

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For the first time in history,

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Hayabusa2 blasts a hole in an asteroid,

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attempting to gather the ingredients of life

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from under the surface,

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and encountering unimagined challenges.

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Where did we come from?

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We'll explore the great adventure of Hayabusa2,

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the search for origins of life on Earth.

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In December 2014,

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the asteroid probe, Hayabusa2 began its journey into space.

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It was heading for an asteroid later named Ryugu,

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a small object orbiting between the Earth and Mars.

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The probe was to gather fragments of rock from the asteroid,

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and bring them back to Earth.

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A six-year round-trip adventure had begun.

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The Japanese Space Agency probe, Hayabusa2,

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is six meters long, and about three meters tall.

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It's equipped with a special device,

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engineered to gather samples from the asteroid.

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The tube extending from the bottom of the probe,

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is a sampler horn.

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When its tip touches ground,

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it triggers a switch that fires a bullet.

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Rock on the surface is pulverized,

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and the horn gathers fragments of the asteroid.

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These are sealed in a capsule for return to Earth.

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That is the ultimate goal.

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But the mission would deploy other tools first,

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before this high-risk last shot,

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specialized devices built into the spacecraft,

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will be used to land on the asteroid.

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The first is MASCOT,

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a tool to get to know the asteroid.

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Just 30 centimeters on a side,

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the lander carries a camera

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that will bounce along the surface, taking pictures.

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Before the main craft lands,

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MASCOT will be dropped on to Ryugu.

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The second device is the target marker,

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which marks the landing zone for the craft.

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It's ball-shaped and reflects light.

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It will be dropped from straight above the asteroid,

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and guide the craft as it lands.

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Every effort went into configuring the Hayabusa2 probe.

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But what lay ahead,

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is a reality far more challenging

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than anyone could have imagined.

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The team assembles in the Hayabusa2 control room,

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at the JAXA Institute of Space and Astrological Science.

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Yuichi Tsuda is the Project Manager.

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He is in charge, the leader of a 600-person team.

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Tsuda was also involved in the first

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Hayabusa project at JAXA.

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He worked under the first Hayabusa project manager,

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Nichiro Kawaguchi,

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on a team of about a dozen people,

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who operated the probe.

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More than a decade later, Tsuda again

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has taken on a challenging mission,

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this time as the leader.

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Kawaguchi assigned a young engineer, Takanao Saiki,

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the key task of bringing back samples

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from below the surface rocks of an asteroid.

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In June, 2018,

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Hayabusa2 arrived above the asteroid Ryugu.

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Seen from a close distance for the first time,

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Ryugu was rugged and rock-strewn,

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an unusual celestial body.

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Could the project team find a safe landing area?

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The team members immediately went to work.

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(dramatic orchestral music)

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They started by making a detailed map of the asteroid.

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From a distance of 20 kilometers,

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they took photographs of every feature

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on the surface of Ryugu.

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Then they bounced a laser beam off the surface,

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the measure the height of each area.

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From this data, the team created a three-dimensional map.

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Ryugu had a peculiar shape

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that surprised scientists across the globe.

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An aggregate of rock fragments that formed a diamond,

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a very strange celestial body.

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How in the world did it come to have this shape?

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In Colorado, a scientist has analyzed the asteroid's shape

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to deduce the origin of its formation.

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Astrophysicist Kevin Walsh specializes in asteroid research.

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In a computer simulation of a similar object in space,

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when the speed of its rotation increases,

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its shape changes before our eyes.

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So if we take an asteroid of this diamond shape,

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we think that this bulge at the equator

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is due to rapid spin,

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causing material to move from the mid-latitudes,

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or even the poles, down to the equator.

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Billions of years ago,

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asteroids collided violently,

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and smashed into a myriad of fragments.

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These free-gloating pieces rotated at high speed,

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and over time,

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they accumulated through the force of gravity,

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and formed an aggregate.

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That's how the diamond-shaped asteroid, Ryugu,

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came into being.

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This presented a major barrier

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when it came to landing Hayabusa2.

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In fact, the potential landing zones

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were restricted to an area 30 degrees

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north and south of the equator.

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Hayabusa2 runs on solar power cells,

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and if it strayed too far from the equator,

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it would receive insufficient sunlight

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to continue its mission.

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Given these conditions,

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the team discussed potential landing zones.

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To land safely, Hayabusa2 required

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a flat area of about 100 meters square,

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but the terrain offered no such safe space.

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Only 15 sites offered anything close to safety.

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And the final candidates were further narrowed to seven.

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These sites were evaluated in detail,

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when a new obstacle suddenly threatened

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to scuttle the whole mission.

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In order to collect rock fragments from Ryugu,

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the sampler horn has to touch down on the surface.

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But the horn is only one meter long.

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If a boulder is larger than that,

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the body of the probe will collide with it,

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placing it in danger.

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The final seven candidate sites

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were all dangerous locations.

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The project had encountered an unexpected obstacle.

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There was no site where a landing could easily take place.

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The team had to find a way past this unforeseen hurdle.

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In August, over 100 project members came together

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to discuss the problem.

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Among the participants was Junichiro Kawaguchi,

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Project Manager for the first Hayabusa project.

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He suggested looking at the problem from different angles.

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Mission leader Tsuda then came up

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with a new imperative for landing.

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We want to acquire experience

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by doing such very close-guidance navigation.

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According to Tsuda,

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descent training exercises could improve

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the probe's accuracy,

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and avoid dangerous boulders when landing.

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After nine hours of discussion, LO8-B,

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an area with relatively fewer rocks

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was selected as the prospective landing site.

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The probe is 300 million kilometers in space.

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For radio signals to reach that distance

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takes about 17 minutes.

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If a threat is discovered during final descent,

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commands from Earth arrive too late,

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and the probe crashes.

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To overcome this problem Hayabusa2's onboard computer

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engages an autonomous flight,

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making its own observations, and judgments,

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while in motion.

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September 11th, 2018,

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the probe approaches the LO8 landing site

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to conduct observations.

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The plan is to have the craft descend

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to 30 meters above the surface,

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and examine each of the rocks at the site.

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The descent begins.

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This is a faithful visualization of Hayabusa2's flight,

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based on actual data from the probe.

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Hayabusa2 maintains a steady descent.

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As it reaches an altitude of 600 meters above the surface,

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suddenly the data transmission breaks off.

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Hayabusa2's altimeter

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shows an abnormal number.

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In an instant, the reading jumps

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from 600 to 7,000 meters above the asteroid.

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What happened to Hayabusa2?

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This was an emergency.

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Due to this unforeseen development,

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the landing was postponed indefinitely.

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Could the probe ever return to Earth,

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with evidence that the building blocks of life

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came from a rain of asteroids?

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A discovery that linked life's origins with asteroids,

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was made in California in 2012.

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Amateur photographers, Lisa and Rick Warren,

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were taking their morning walk one day.

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I looked into the sky,

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and I saw this flash,

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so I told Lisa, I said,

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"Hey, look at that."

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All I did was just grab my camera.

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I didn't even know.

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I honestly didn't see anything.

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I just pushed the button,

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and happened to catch three pictures.

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A streak of light cutting across the sky.

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Lisa had captured images of a meteorite

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plunging towards Earth from outer space,

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and disappearing behind a mountain.

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Prompted by the Warrens' eyewitness report,

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a research scientist raced to the site.

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Peter Jenniskens is a prominent meteorite hunter.

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He and a colleague search the vicinity

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where the meteorite landed,

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but found nothing.

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Disappointed, Peter gave up for the day, and left the site.

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After about an hour of searching,

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I arrived back at the car,

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and suddenly I noticed that just a few meters from the car

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are these little bits of black rock.

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And that was it.

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That's what we were looking for.

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Look how fortunate.

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This is where you parked the car,

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that's where the meteorite was.

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So let me show you what we found.

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It's a very dark, blue rock.

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This is what he found,

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a small black rock,

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about one centimeter in size,

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dubbed, The Sutter's Mill Meteorite.

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I did not immediately recognize

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that this is what I was looking for,

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because I wasn't that familiar

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with this type of meteorite.

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This strange black meteorite

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was sent to scientists around the world for analysis.

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(dramatic orchestral music)

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Among them was Sandra Pizzarello,

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and world-renowned authority,

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who at 86, has spent

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over half a century studying meteorites.

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(dramatic orchestral music)

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Inside the fragment, she found a substance

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that was surprising, even to her.

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Oxygen-containing organic material,

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which I'd never seen before.

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But they offered a glimpse of molecular evolution

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of the biogenic elements that preceded life.

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Her analysis uncovered a substance

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that is a building block of all life forms.

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The fragment contained a chain of carbon atoms

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with an oxygen atom at one end.

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It could be called a scrap of life.

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From the most ancient life forms,

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to life on Earth today,

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all living things are made of cells.

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Each one of those cells is enclosed by a membrane.

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Cell membranes are comprised of long chains of carbon,

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lined up in long rows.

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What surprised Pizzarello,

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was that the meteorite contained

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those long chains of carbon,

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that scrap of life.

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In fact, science has run into a stumbling block

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regarding the origin of life on Earth.

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00:18:03,890 --> 00:18:06,520
Until recently, the prevailing theory

272
00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:08,360
was that these carbon chains

273
00:18:08,360 --> 00:18:10,930
were formed from materials that flowed up

274
00:18:10,930 --> 00:18:13,190
from within the Earth.

275
00:18:13,190 --> 00:18:15,500
However, with more research,

276
00:18:15,500 --> 00:18:19,133
it became clear that these chains were quite scarce.

277
00:18:20,460 --> 00:18:23,623
Where then did the building blocks of life come from?

278
00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:30,440
Meteorites provided hints that might unlock this mystery.

279
00:18:36,630 --> 00:18:39,530
In the far reaches of this starry sky,

280
00:18:39,530 --> 00:18:41,830
lie innumerable celestial objects,

281
00:18:41,830 --> 00:18:44,620
that are the source of meteorites.

282
00:18:44,620 --> 00:18:48,103
These are the asteroids that float within the solar system.

283
00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:52,210
Examining these asteroids one by one,

284
00:18:52,210 --> 00:18:53,877
it was found that one of them

285
00:18:53,877 --> 00:18:58,460
had the same color components as the black meteorite.

286
00:18:58,460 --> 00:19:01,083
It was the asteroid, Ryugu.

287
00:19:09,500 --> 00:19:13,133
What was the reason behind Hayabusa2's sudden ascent?

288
00:19:15,150 --> 00:19:17,730
It turns out that the surface of Ryugu,

289
00:19:17,730 --> 00:19:20,143
is too dark to reflect much light.

290
00:19:25,130 --> 00:19:29,360
Hayabusa2 could no longer tell how high it was.

291
00:19:29,360 --> 00:19:33,433
Sensing danger, it shifted into an emergency ascent.

292
00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:41,050
It is believed the surface of Ryugu is so dark,

293
00:19:41,050 --> 00:19:43,333
because it widely covered with carbon.

294
00:19:45,100 --> 00:19:46,590
Across the world,

295
00:19:46,590 --> 00:19:51,000
scientific interest in the probe of Ryugu grew even greater.

296
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:54,110
For JAXA, the stakes were high.

297
00:19:54,110 --> 00:19:57,443
Can the team successfully return with a sample?

298
00:20:01,420 --> 00:20:04,690
During the down time for reviewing the landing plan,

299
00:20:04,690 --> 00:20:08,113
the flight team conducts three practice descent runs.

300
00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:12,913
First, they would need to drop their surface camera probe.

301
00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,110
On October 3rd, MASCOT was dispatched

302
00:20:18,110 --> 00:20:20,760
to investigate the surface of Ryugu,

303
00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:22,833
prior to the landing of Hayabusa2.

304
00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:30,340
German and French scientists who built MASCOT,

305
00:20:30,340 --> 00:20:33,513
followed closely as the probe began its descent.

306
00:20:38,550 --> 00:20:41,740
When the craft reached an altitude of 51 meters,

307
00:20:41,740 --> 00:20:43,803
the MASCOT lander detached.

308
00:20:54,020 --> 00:20:57,283
These photographs were taken as MASCOT was falling.

309
00:20:58,940 --> 00:21:00,910
Spinning as it fell,

310
00:21:00,910 --> 00:21:04,063
it landed on the surface without incident.

311
00:21:12,120 --> 00:21:14,380
The first closeup images of Ryugu

312
00:21:14,380 --> 00:21:17,570
showed an unusual world of just dark rock,

313
00:21:17,570 --> 00:21:20,060
with no sand or dust.

314
00:21:20,060 --> 00:21:22,800
A surface strewn with rough boulders.

315
00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:24,330
It was clear that the landing

316
00:21:24,330 --> 00:21:26,353
would face severe difficulties.

317
00:21:28,690 --> 00:21:32,940
On October 25th, a rehearsal of the landing was conducted.

318
00:21:32,940 --> 00:21:34,120
The probe would descend

319
00:21:34,120 --> 00:21:36,960
toward the newly selected landing site,

320
00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,963
approaching as close as possible to the asteroid.

321
00:21:41,230 --> 00:21:44,090
Tsuda wanted to ensure they succeeded in dropping

322
00:21:44,090 --> 00:21:46,833
the target marker that would guide the landing.

323
00:21:47,980 --> 00:21:50,340
The plan called for Hayabusa2

324
00:21:50,340 --> 00:21:55,140
to descend toward the landing site, LO8-B.

325
00:21:55,140 --> 00:21:57,530
From a height of only 12 meters,

326
00:21:57,530 --> 00:21:59,830
the target marker would be dropped.

327
00:21:59,830 --> 00:22:03,090
The goal, fall within the 20 meter circle

328
00:22:03,090 --> 00:22:04,273
of the landing site.

329
00:22:05,410 --> 00:22:08,200
Then Hayabusa2 would ascend to a spot

330
00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:11,840
directly above the target marker and stop.

331
00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:15,563
This would confirm the stabilization of the craft.

332
00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:20,363
The target marker operation is about to begin.

333
00:22:23,290 --> 00:22:25,853
Hayabusa2 approaches Ryugu.

334
00:22:30,230 --> 00:22:33,050
It passes the 40 meter mark.

335
00:22:33,050 --> 00:22:34,603
All are anxious.

336
00:22:47,660 --> 00:22:52,430
The marker is released as planned, success!

337
00:22:52,430 --> 00:22:57,037
This is the actual image filmed by the probe.

338
00:22:57,037 --> 00:22:59,663
The white dot is the falling marker.

339
00:23:02,910 --> 00:23:03,743
It has landed,

340
00:23:07,820 --> 00:23:09,793
then bounces and rolls.

341
00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:16,340
After rolling for about two meters,

342
00:23:16,340 --> 00:23:18,423
it hits a rock and stops.

343
00:23:20,890 --> 00:23:22,916
Detecting the target marker,

344
00:23:22,916 --> 00:23:27,810
Hayabusa2 ascends and stops in position directly above it.

345
00:23:27,810 --> 00:23:29,673
The craft is perfectly stable.

346
00:23:31,610 --> 00:23:34,360
(group laughing)

347
00:23:38,730 --> 00:23:41,773
The all-important landing marker has been set.

348
00:23:54,660 --> 00:23:55,870
But that night,

349
00:23:55,870 --> 00:23:58,253
the team makes a disturbing discovery.

350
00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:04,740
When they examine the location of the marker,

351
00:24:04,740 --> 00:24:08,110
they realize it was outside the 20-meter circle

352
00:24:08,110 --> 00:24:09,233
of the landing site.

353
00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:15,000
Here was a new obstacle for the project team.

354
00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:18,260
The marker had missed the target area.

355
00:24:18,260 --> 00:24:22,223
But Hayabusa2 needed a marker to guide its safe landing.

356
00:24:23,060 --> 00:24:25,550
They had to find a new landing site,

357
00:24:25,550 --> 00:24:27,313
where the marker would be visible.

358
00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:35,170
A possible solution was proposed by Tomokatsu Marota,

359
00:24:35,170 --> 00:24:37,333
an expert in lunar topography.

360
00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,670
He suggested calculating the height of the rocks

361
00:24:44,670 --> 00:24:47,223
near the marker with greater precision.

362
00:24:50,210 --> 00:24:52,780
All off the images sent by Hayabusa2

363
00:24:52,780 --> 00:24:55,360
were captured from directly above.

364
00:24:55,360 --> 00:24:58,453
They showed the width of the rocks, but not their height.

365
00:25:00,900 --> 00:25:02,820
But Marota noticed that the rocks

366
00:25:02,820 --> 00:25:05,203
cast faintly visible shadows.

367
00:25:09,870 --> 00:25:12,400
Since the position of the sun was known,

368
00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:15,710
it should be possible the height of the rocks

369
00:25:15,710 --> 00:25:17,653
from the length of their shadows.

370
00:25:22,020 --> 00:25:25,350
Marota measured the rock shadows near the target marker,

371
00:25:25,350 --> 00:25:29,733
one by one, and calculated the height of countless rocks.

372
00:25:47,150 --> 00:25:49,230
As a result, he ascertained

373
00:25:49,230 --> 00:25:52,660
that there was just one area near the target marker,

374
00:25:52,660 --> 00:25:55,350
only six meters in diameter,

375
00:25:55,350 --> 00:25:58,210
where the craft could land safely,

376
00:25:58,210 --> 00:26:02,110
far smaller than the original estimated 100 meters

377
00:26:02,110 --> 00:26:03,463
needed for safety.

378
00:26:05,020 --> 00:26:06,700
And the area was around the marker

379
00:26:06,700 --> 00:26:09,240
was crowded with big boulders.

380
00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:12,483
Hit any one, and it would end the mission.

381
00:26:14,230 --> 00:26:17,770
Was there a route that avoided the dangerous boulders,

382
00:26:17,770 --> 00:26:20,893
while still keeping the target marker in sight?

383
00:26:21,860 --> 00:26:26,440
The team simulated some 100,000 routes of descent.

384
00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:28,440
They finally found an approach

385
00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:30,433
that would result in a sure landing.

386
00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:33,660
This involved following the marker guide

387
00:26:33,660 --> 00:26:35,180
to a certain height,

388
00:26:35,180 --> 00:26:39,830
stopping, then carefully moving six meters horizontally,

389
00:26:39,830 --> 00:26:41,423
before finishing the descent.

390
00:26:43,150 --> 00:26:46,060
This strategy would enable the six-meter wide Hayabusa2

391
00:26:47,210 --> 00:26:50,423
to land in the six-meters-wide landing site.

392
00:26:55,490 --> 00:26:59,080
February 21st, 2019,

393
00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:00,680
it's the start of a harrowing

394
00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:03,634
24-hour-long touchdown mission.

395
00:27:03,634 --> 00:27:07,880
(dramatic orchestral music)

396
00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,810
An error in the numeric data of the Hayabusa2 computer

397
00:27:11,810 --> 00:27:13,783
will take five hours to correct.

398
00:27:19,010 --> 00:27:21,970
The asteroid Ryugu is rotating.

399
00:27:21,970 --> 00:27:24,780
If the departure is delayed by five hours,

400
00:27:24,780 --> 00:27:27,183
the landing area will also shift.

401
00:27:30,530 --> 00:27:33,240
Should they abort the mission for today?

402
00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:34,840
Or should they dare to continue?

403
00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:54,673
Tsuda decides

404
00:27:54,673 --> 00:27:57,350
to continue the landing operation.

405
00:27:57,350 --> 00:27:59,630
The team will increase the speed of descent

406
00:27:59,630 --> 00:28:01,650
to make up lost time,

407
00:28:01,650 --> 00:28:04,293
aiming to land at the original target site.

408
00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:13,640
Hayabusa2 uses more of its jets to approach Ryugu

409
00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:16,573
at twice the originally planned speed.

410
00:28:23,390 --> 00:28:27,263
By that evening, they've been able to make up the lost time.

411
00:28:37,580 --> 00:28:40,563
The next morning, the day of the landing.

412
00:28:46,288 --> 00:28:49,455
Hayabusa2 is now only 500 meters away.

413
00:28:50,700 --> 00:28:54,030
That's just 1,500 feet from its target,

414
00:28:54,030 --> 00:28:55,433
the asteroid Ryugu.

415
00:28:56,810 --> 00:28:59,060
This is the final hurdle,

416
00:28:59,060 --> 00:29:01,180
the decision must be made now,

417
00:29:01,180 --> 00:29:04,380
whether to go for the landing or turn back.

418
00:29:04,380 --> 00:29:08,937
If it's a go, Hayabusa2 will switch to autonomous flight.

419
00:29:24,980 --> 00:29:29,070
Communications, flight control, altimeter,

420
00:29:29,070 --> 00:29:32,790
only after all 13 teams signal okay

421
00:29:32,790 --> 00:29:35,300
will the landing mission be green-lighted.

422
00:30:02,870 --> 00:30:06,590
The landing is a go, the command has been sent,

423
00:30:06,590 --> 00:30:09,573
and the probe switches to autonomous flight.

424
00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:36,270
Now it's 45 meters to Ryugu.

425
00:30:36,270 --> 00:30:39,823
These computer graphics are based on actual flight data.

426
00:30:42,126 --> 00:30:44,693
Hayabusa2 locates the target marker.

427
00:30:50,350 --> 00:30:53,160
The probe reads the asteroid's topography,

428
00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:55,813
and makes fine adjustments to its position.

429
00:30:58,500 --> 00:31:02,033
And then it heads straight down towards the target marker.

430
00:31:09,830 --> 00:31:13,640
From here on, detailed data from Hayabusa2

431
00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:15,760
will not reach Earth.

432
00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:18,200
The team can only watch the monitor

433
00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:20,283
indicating the probe's speed.

434
00:31:26,260 --> 00:31:29,410
Data sent afterward showed that the probe halted

435
00:31:29,410 --> 00:31:32,700
at an altitude of 8.5 meters.

436
00:31:32,700 --> 00:31:36,730
As planned, it made a painstaking horizontal move

437
00:31:36,730 --> 00:31:38,543
to avoid the large boulder.

438
00:31:45,090 --> 00:31:48,640
Turning its jets on and off numerous times,

439
00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:52,800
the probe aims for a space barely bigger than itself,

440
00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:56,623
only six meters wide, to make its touchdown.

441
00:32:17,210 --> 00:32:20,060
The control room is in countdown mode.

442
00:32:20,060 --> 00:32:23,543
At 50 seconds, Hayabusa2 should be landing.

443
00:32:27,130 --> 00:32:30,473
When it touches down, a red dot should appear here.

444
00:32:43,770 --> 00:32:46,373
Still, no red dot.

445
00:33:11,523 --> 00:33:14,518
(group exclaiming)

446
00:33:14,518 --> 00:33:17,435
(group applauding)

447
00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:36,610
This is the moment they knew

448
00:33:36,610 --> 00:33:39,003
all the obstacles had been overcome.

449
00:33:40,850 --> 00:33:43,767
(soft vocal music)

450
00:33:51,070 --> 00:33:53,470
This is the image of the first touchdown

451
00:33:53,470 --> 00:33:56,903
recreated faithfully from the probe's flight data.

452
00:34:07,300 --> 00:34:10,303
February 22nd, 7:29 a.m.

453
00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:15,723
Hayabusa2 had finally touched down on the asteroid Ryugu.

454
00:34:49,580 --> 00:34:52,860
14 years after the first Hayabusa mission,

455
00:34:52,860 --> 00:34:55,310
the project team accepted the challenge

456
00:34:55,310 --> 00:34:57,583
of conquering unknown realms.

457
00:34:58,706 --> 00:35:02,206
(gentle orchestral music)

458
00:35:05,300 --> 00:35:09,140
But there is one more task ahead for Tsuda and Saiki,

459
00:35:09,140 --> 00:35:10,630
and the team.

460
00:35:10,630 --> 00:35:13,010
Explode a crater on Ryugu,

461
00:35:13,010 --> 00:35:17,340
to capture uncontaminated samples from under the surface.

462
00:35:17,340 --> 00:35:20,810
It's risky, and could jeopardize the probe,

463
00:35:20,810 --> 00:35:23,670
and the hard-won sample inside.

464
00:35:23,670 --> 00:35:24,873
The whole mission.

465
00:35:25,940 --> 00:35:27,870
But it is crucial.

466
00:35:27,870 --> 00:35:31,210
A new subsurface sample could hold the key

467
00:35:31,210 --> 00:35:33,960
to understand how and when

468
00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:36,690
the earliest building blocks for life

469
00:35:36,690 --> 00:35:38,963
may have arrived on Earth.

470
00:36:02,020 --> 00:36:05,810
This dangerous second mission for the Hayabusa2 team

471
00:36:05,810 --> 00:36:09,300
was spurred by research into when the oldest forms

472
00:36:09,300 --> 00:36:11,023
of life on Earth originated.

473
00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:14,910
This is the Labrador region of Canada,

474
00:36:14,910 --> 00:36:16,990
near the Arctic Circle.

475
00:36:16,990 --> 00:36:21,413
In 2017, something remarkable was discovered here.

476
00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:28,840
Breaking off a piece of rock and examining it,

477
00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:30,523
black grains were found.

478
00:36:34,720 --> 00:36:36,290
When they were analyzed,

479
00:36:36,290 --> 00:36:39,453
they were found to be traces of microorganisms.

480
00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:45,580
They dated back 3.95 billion years.

481
00:36:45,580 --> 00:36:47,180
These grains were traces

482
00:36:47,180 --> 00:36:49,533
of the oldest forms of life on Earth.

483
00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:55,940
Further, they were already advanced enough,

484
00:36:55,940 --> 00:36:58,743
that they grouped together to form a colony.

485
00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:07,190
In fact, the dating of the oldest forms of life on Earth

486
00:37:07,190 --> 00:37:09,933
has been pushed ever farther back in time.

487
00:37:12,210 --> 00:37:14,500
For many years, scientists believed

488
00:37:14,500 --> 00:37:16,420
that the earliest forms of life

489
00:37:16,420 --> 00:37:19,223
appeared 3.5 billion years ago.

490
00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:24,490
Then, in 1999,

491
00:37:24,490 --> 00:37:29,103
traces of life were discovered from 3.7 billion years ago.

492
00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:34,250
Then the discovery made in 2017,

493
00:37:34,250 --> 00:37:36,580
pushed the timeline back further

494
00:37:36,580 --> 00:37:39,240
to nearly four billion years.

495
00:37:39,240 --> 00:37:43,193
The world's textbooks have been repeatedly revised.

496
00:38:12,216 --> 00:38:13,160
The formation of the Earth

497
00:38:13,160 --> 00:38:16,453
dates back some 4.5 billion years.

498
00:38:17,350 --> 00:38:20,450
The surface was covered by an ocean of magma,

499
00:38:20,450 --> 00:38:24,880
with scorching temperatures over 1,000 degrees Celsius.

500
00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:28,343
Of course, the raw material of life was not present.

501
00:38:32,860 --> 00:38:35,960
From these beginnings, life emerged on Earth

502
00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:37,510
relatively quickly.

503
00:38:37,510 --> 00:38:38,703
It evolved rapidly.

504
00:38:39,730 --> 00:38:42,720
Why this happened is one of the greatest mysteries

505
00:38:42,720 --> 00:38:44,493
of contemporary science.

506
00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:51,590
Faced with the need to revise their thinking,

507
00:38:51,590 --> 00:38:55,710
scientists began to look beyond the Earth, to space,

508
00:38:55,710 --> 00:38:57,373
for the origins of life.

509
00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:18,340
Asteroids that came

510
00:39:18,340 --> 00:39:20,720
to ancient Earth from space,

511
00:39:20,720 --> 00:39:25,053
brought materials that provided the building blocks of life.

512
00:39:27,210 --> 00:39:30,877
(dramatic orchestral music)

513
00:39:43,517 --> 00:39:45,320
Ryugu is the type of asteroid

514
00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:48,920
that contains large amounts of carbon and water.

515
00:39:48,920 --> 00:39:50,610
At the time of their formation,

516
00:39:50,610 --> 00:39:52,053
were very hot inside.

517
00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:57,150
As a result, an environment like a hot spring develops,

518
00:39:57,150 --> 00:40:00,443
which creates substances with longer chains of carbon.

519
00:40:03,670 --> 00:40:05,730
It is believed that this process

520
00:40:05,730 --> 00:40:09,193
created the substances that later evolved into life.

521
00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:14,778
In order to prove this theory,

522
00:40:14,778 --> 00:40:17,010
Hayabusa2 was designed to gather

523
00:40:17,010 --> 00:40:18,913
fragments of rock from Ryugu.

524
00:40:21,670 --> 00:40:26,070
But sampling rock from the surface would not suffice.

525
00:40:26,070 --> 00:40:27,990
Even on the same asteroid,

526
00:40:27,990 --> 00:40:30,380
matter that has been exposed to sun rays

527
00:40:30,380 --> 00:40:32,550
for long periods of time,

528
00:40:32,550 --> 00:40:35,063
is different from unexposed matter.

529
00:40:53,780 --> 00:40:55,840
Destructive light rays from the sun

530
00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:59,410
continue to strike the surface of the asteroid.

531
00:40:59,410 --> 00:41:03,233
The long chains of carbon atoms are severed and disbursed.

532
00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:08,550
The sun doesn't penetrate the surface,

533
00:41:08,550 --> 00:41:10,270
so the long chains of carbon

534
00:41:10,270 --> 00:41:12,723
remain undamaged in the subsoil.

535
00:41:13,950 --> 00:41:16,600
To explore the roots of life on Earth,

536
00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:19,000
the plan is to blast the asteroid,

537
00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:22,893
and gather the uncompromised substances below the surface.

538
00:41:23,740 --> 00:41:27,730
That is Hayabusa2's most important mission,

539
00:41:27,730 --> 00:41:30,483
and the team's greatest challenge.

540
00:41:34,230 --> 00:41:37,770
There was great pressure on Takanao Saiki and his team,

541
00:41:37,770 --> 00:41:41,973
to devise a successful plan to collect subterranean sample.

542
00:41:48,585 --> 00:41:51,170
Saiki struggled with the problem

543
00:41:51,170 --> 00:41:54,923
of how to dig a hole on the face of a distant asteroid.

544
00:41:57,590 --> 00:42:01,420
One of the first plans called for firing a rocket at Ryugu,

545
00:42:01,420 --> 00:42:03,893
to cause an explosion on its surface,

546
00:42:04,880 --> 00:42:06,210
but with this approach,

547
00:42:06,210 --> 00:42:08,130
the heat of the explosion would sever

548
00:42:08,130 --> 00:42:10,040
the long chains of carbon,

549
00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:11,773
so this idea was abandoned.

550
00:42:16,340 --> 00:42:19,110
There was also a proposal to land the probe

551
00:42:19,110 --> 00:42:21,270
and have it drill a hole,

552
00:42:21,270 --> 00:42:23,500
but this proved unworkable.

553
00:42:23,500 --> 00:42:25,800
The asteroid has weak gravity,

554
00:42:25,800 --> 00:42:28,280
so it would require a large amount of fuel

555
00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:30,253
to hold the craft on the ground.

556
00:42:50,070 --> 00:42:51,500
Then, he visited

557
00:42:51,500 --> 00:42:54,460
an explosives manufacturer in Fukushima,

558
00:42:54,460 --> 00:42:56,833
with a plan that might salvage the mission.

559
00:42:57,740 --> 00:43:00,720
Saiki's proposal would work like this.

560
00:43:00,720 --> 00:43:03,980
A launching device would separate from Hayabusa2,

561
00:43:03,980 --> 00:43:07,130
and detonate, sending a projectile down

562
00:43:07,130 --> 00:43:09,083
to blast a hole in the asteroid.

563
00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:11,170
With this approach,

564
00:43:11,170 --> 00:43:14,883
the explosion would not burn the long carbon substances.

565
00:43:31,740 --> 00:43:33,990
Development of the device began.

566
00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:40,790
The goal was to keep it under 10 kilograms,

567
00:43:40,790 --> 00:43:42,820
but to make a projectile that would travel

568
00:43:42,820 --> 00:43:45,370
more than two kilometers per second,

569
00:43:45,370 --> 00:43:47,443
faster than a rifle bullet.

570
00:43:52,330 --> 00:43:55,310
Many trials were conducted before this device,

571
00:43:55,310 --> 00:43:57,163
an impactor, was completed.

572
00:44:00,820 --> 00:44:02,300
To reduce its weight,

573
00:44:02,300 --> 00:44:03,980
it has a simple cone shape,

574
00:44:03,980 --> 00:44:05,773
rather than the barrel of a cannon.

575
00:44:10,670 --> 00:44:12,320
The critical projectile

576
00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:14,943
will be made by deforming the copper disk.

577
00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:20,650
When the explosives in the cone detonate,

578
00:44:20,650 --> 00:44:23,970
the energy is concentrated in the center of the disk,

579
00:44:23,970 --> 00:44:26,600
causing to form into a ball.

580
00:44:26,600 --> 00:44:30,343
This becomes the projectile striking the asteroid.

581
00:44:43,570 --> 00:44:46,390
A pointed projectile has greater force

582
00:44:46,390 --> 00:44:49,080
if it hits an object straight on.

583
00:44:49,080 --> 00:44:51,420
If it hits at even a slight angle,

584
00:44:51,420 --> 00:44:53,773
the impact is reduced dramatically.

585
00:44:54,720 --> 00:44:56,230
But with a round shape,

586
00:44:56,230 --> 00:44:58,903
the maximum impact is always achieved.

587
00:45:00,091 --> 00:45:03,758
(dramatic orchestral music)

588
00:45:08,390 --> 00:45:12,220
However, experiments showed it was very difficult

589
00:45:12,220 --> 00:45:15,623
to get the copper disk to form a near-perfect sphere.

590
00:45:16,620 --> 00:45:18,510
The experiments continued,

591
00:45:18,510 --> 00:45:20,290
making minute adjustments

592
00:45:20,290 --> 00:45:22,453
to the configuration of the device.

593
00:45:25,650 --> 00:45:28,440
Three years after development began,

594
00:45:28,440 --> 00:45:30,440
a test firing was conducted,

595
00:45:30,440 --> 00:45:32,790
using the same amount of explosive

596
00:45:32,790 --> 00:45:34,523
as in the final design.

597
00:45:35,860 --> 00:45:39,140
It was a major, dangerous undertaking.

598
00:45:39,140 --> 00:45:40,750
If the test failed,

599
00:45:40,750 --> 00:45:44,400
the schedule for the launch of Hayabusa2 itself

600
00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:45,843
would be at risk.

601
00:45:47,827 --> 00:45:50,291
(siren blaring)

602
00:45:50,291 --> 00:45:52,449
(explosion)

603
00:45:52,449 --> 00:45:54,782
(explosion)

604
00:45:59,840 --> 00:46:02,580
The blasted copper disk formed a ball,

605
00:46:02,580 --> 00:46:03,923
just as designed.

606
00:46:13,180 --> 00:46:15,960
The device that would penetrate an asteroid,

607
00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:17,203
had been perfected.

608
00:46:26,300 --> 00:46:28,920
April, 2019.

609
00:46:28,920 --> 00:46:32,120
The operation to blast a hole in an asteroid,

610
00:46:32,120 --> 00:46:34,030
for the first time in history,

611
00:46:34,030 --> 00:46:35,363
will soon be attempted.

612
00:46:38,530 --> 00:46:41,480
Directing the blasting operation is of course,

613
00:46:41,480 --> 00:46:43,810
Takanao Saiki.

614
00:46:43,810 --> 00:46:45,913
He sits at the center of the control room.

615
00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:05,560
Great risk is attached to the operation.

616
00:47:05,560 --> 00:47:07,750
There is a possibility it could destroy

617
00:47:07,750 --> 00:47:09,813
the Hayabusa2 space probe.

618
00:47:15,370 --> 00:47:17,450
When the impactor detonates,

619
00:47:17,450 --> 00:47:19,520
it breaks into many small fragments,

620
00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:21,143
hurtling through space.

621
00:47:23,570 --> 00:47:26,830
If those chunks collide with Hayabusa2,

622
00:47:26,830 --> 00:47:28,963
they could deliver a fatal blow.

623
00:47:33,120 --> 00:47:36,680
There is only one zone where the craft will be safe,

624
00:47:36,680 --> 00:47:38,033
behind Ryugu.

625
00:47:39,060 --> 00:47:42,470
The strategy is to use the asteroid as a shield

626
00:47:42,470 --> 00:47:44,053
to evade the fragments.

627
00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:49,730
However, once released in space,

628
00:47:49,730 --> 00:47:52,490
the impactor can only maintain its target

629
00:47:52,490 --> 00:47:54,910
for a maximum of 40 minutes.

630
00:47:54,910 --> 00:47:58,080
It will take Hayabusa2 up to 37 minutes

631
00:47:58,080 --> 00:48:00,160
to reach the safe zone,

632
00:48:00,160 --> 00:48:02,863
a margin of just three minutes.

633
00:48:06,100 --> 00:48:08,680
Saiki has to direct this operation

634
00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:10,783
with no room for failure.

635
00:48:16,690 --> 00:48:21,223
At 10:56 a.m. Hayabusa2 releases the impactor.

636
00:48:23,850 --> 00:48:27,583
This is actual footage taken right after the release.

637
00:48:28,880 --> 00:48:31,850
The impactor's timer has begun ticking.

638
00:48:31,850 --> 00:48:34,293
It will detonate in 40 minutes.

639
00:48:41,386 --> 00:48:45,980
Hayabusa2 moves at maximum speed toward the safe zone.

640
00:48:45,980 --> 00:48:48,323
Will it arrive there in time?

641
00:48:49,590 --> 00:48:52,270
The team in the control room closely monitors

642
00:48:52,270 --> 00:48:53,793
the signal from Hayabusa2.

643
00:48:57,770 --> 00:48:59,560
It's the only way to verify

644
00:48:59,560 --> 00:49:02,313
that the spacecraft survived the operation.

645
00:49:10,570 --> 00:49:13,063
The countdown to detonation begins.

646
00:49:29,030 --> 00:49:31,320
If the signal continues for three minutes

647
00:49:31,320 --> 00:49:36,243
after the detonation, Hayabusa2 has survived.

648
00:50:03,147 --> 00:50:04,138
(applauding)

649
00:50:04,138 --> 00:50:06,721
Hayabusa2 is safe.

650
00:50:14,810 --> 00:50:17,720
Even while accepting congratulations,

651
00:50:17,720 --> 00:50:19,183
Saiki remains uncertain.

652
00:50:28,400 --> 00:50:30,730
He still didn't know if the projectile

653
00:50:30,730 --> 00:50:32,210
has hit its target,

654
00:50:32,210 --> 00:50:34,210
and succeeded in blasting the hole

655
00:50:34,210 --> 00:50:36,350
that could solve the mystery

656
00:50:36,350 --> 00:50:38,613
of the origins of life on Earth.

657
00:50:56,530 --> 00:50:59,183
Just then, an announcement is made.

658
00:51:14,230 --> 00:51:16,010
The latest image from Ryugu

659
00:51:16,010 --> 00:51:17,713
had arrived in the next room.

660
00:51:21,890 --> 00:51:25,430
In fact, as Hayabusa2 moved to shelter

661
00:51:25,430 --> 00:51:28,083
it released a small camera in space.

662
00:51:33,980 --> 00:51:36,370
The camera would attempt to capture an image

663
00:51:36,370 --> 00:51:38,100
of the moment of impact,

664
00:51:38,100 --> 00:51:40,650
which couldn't be seen from the back side of Ryugu.

665
00:51:42,020 --> 00:51:44,993
This is the image the camera captured.

666
00:51:49,240 --> 00:51:51,130
Two seconds after the blast,

667
00:51:51,130 --> 00:51:54,553
rocks were ejected to a height of several dozen meters.

668
00:52:03,640 --> 00:52:06,700
Conclusive evidence that a hole had been dug

669
00:52:06,700 --> 00:52:11,700
in an asteroid, deep in space, for the first time ever.

670
00:52:23,727 --> 00:52:26,690
(applauding)

671
00:52:26,690 --> 00:52:29,470
Saiki's decade long dream

672
00:52:29,470 --> 00:52:31,043
had been realized.

673
00:52:31,945 --> 00:52:35,612
(dramatic orchestral music)

674
00:52:49,052 --> 00:52:51,520
4.6 billion years ago,

675
00:52:51,520 --> 00:52:54,733
the solar system formed out of gas and dust.

676
00:52:58,910 --> 00:53:02,050
The sun's gravity attracted heavier materials,

677
00:53:02,050 --> 00:53:04,403
forming celestial bodies made of rock.

678
00:53:11,470 --> 00:53:15,653
These coalesced into rocky planets like Earth and Mars.

679
00:53:16,814 --> 00:53:19,814
(light vocal music)

680
00:53:24,650 --> 00:53:27,920
Further away from the sun, where it was cold,

681
00:53:27,920 --> 00:53:29,830
objects formed that contained

682
00:53:29,830 --> 00:53:32,033
large amounts of ice and carbon.

683
00:53:33,930 --> 00:53:37,300
Most of these were absorbed by gaseous planets,

684
00:53:37,300 --> 00:53:39,063
like Jupiter and Saturn.

685
00:53:42,290 --> 00:53:44,030
But some of the remained,

686
00:53:44,030 --> 00:53:46,253
to become asteroids like Ryugu.

687
00:53:53,570 --> 00:53:57,580
These asteroids, far off in the depths of space,

688
00:53:57,580 --> 00:54:00,903
would later provide the roots of life on Earth.

689
00:54:01,790 --> 00:54:04,373
How did this drama unfold?

690
00:54:06,104 --> 00:54:09,521
(light orchestral music)

691
00:54:12,250 --> 00:54:14,420
How was it that these asteroids,

692
00:54:14,420 --> 00:54:16,200
so distant in space,

693
00:54:16,200 --> 00:54:19,313
could have played a part in the origin of life on Earth?

694
00:54:20,440 --> 00:54:23,170
Kevin Walsh believes that a major upheaval

695
00:54:23,170 --> 00:54:25,510
in the solar system took place,

696
00:54:25,510 --> 00:54:29,003
which he likens to the scattering of dandelion seeds.

697
00:54:30,790 --> 00:54:33,710
In the same way that a dandelion,

698
00:54:33,710 --> 00:54:37,160
like a dandelion puff, full of all of its seeds,

699
00:54:37,160 --> 00:54:39,960
when the wind blows on that and poof,

700
00:54:39,960 --> 00:54:41,910
they go off and they float around,

701
00:54:41,910 --> 00:54:43,050
and they land in different parts

702
00:54:43,050 --> 00:54:45,060
of a beautiful lush meadow like this,

703
00:54:45,060 --> 00:54:47,680
each one of those carries the potential seeds

704
00:54:47,680 --> 00:54:49,473
for a new plant or for life.

705
00:54:50,860 --> 00:54:52,030
Walsh simulated

706
00:54:52,030 --> 00:54:53,930
what occurred in the solar system,

707
00:54:53,930 --> 00:54:56,105
soon after its formation,

708
00:54:56,105 --> 00:54:58,363
4.5 billion years ago.

709
00:55:03,320 --> 00:55:08,030
The solar system began as a great disk of gas and dust.

710
00:55:08,030 --> 00:55:10,560
The large planets, Jupiter and Saturn,

711
00:55:10,560 --> 00:55:11,863
were the first to form.

712
00:55:13,000 --> 00:55:16,350
In the inner region were asteroids made of rock.

713
00:55:16,350 --> 00:55:18,270
And floating in the outer region

714
00:55:18,270 --> 00:55:21,403
were asteroids containing carbon and water.

715
00:55:27,670 --> 00:55:32,150
Walsh recreated the ancient solar system on his computer.

716
00:55:32,150 --> 00:55:34,923
The red and blue dots are asteroids.

717
00:55:40,091 --> 00:55:43,090
So when we start this movie, a simulation,

718
00:55:43,090 --> 00:55:45,173
we see Jupiter migrating inwards.

719
00:55:47,010 --> 00:55:48,660
Now a big, important piece of this,

720
00:55:48,660 --> 00:55:51,400
is that the gas disk itself is evolving.

721
00:55:51,400 --> 00:55:54,170
It's moving and changing, it's flattening,

722
00:55:54,170 --> 00:55:56,710
and it's drifting in towards the sun.

723
00:55:56,710 --> 00:55:58,640
It's like it's stuck in a flood,

724
00:55:58,640 --> 00:56:01,353
and it pushes Jupiter inwards towards the sun.

725
00:56:05,490 --> 00:56:07,530
As time proceeds further,

726
00:56:07,530 --> 00:56:10,300
a mysterious phenomenon occurs,

727
00:56:10,300 --> 00:56:12,810
where Jupiter and Saturn had been migrating

728
00:56:12,810 --> 00:56:14,950
into the inner solar system,

729
00:56:14,950 --> 00:56:18,443
the now begin to move back into the outer region.

730
00:56:20,360 --> 00:56:21,750
The reason?

731
00:56:21,750 --> 00:56:26,260
Much of the gas in the disk had been swept up or scattered.

732
00:56:26,260 --> 00:56:29,690
The flow of gas toward the sun was diminished.

733
00:56:29,690 --> 00:56:33,663
And the force pushing Jupiter and Saturn inward, dissipated.

734
00:56:34,780 --> 00:56:37,920
So they began moving outward in what is called,

735
00:56:37,920 --> 00:56:39,233
the grand tack.

736
00:56:45,130 --> 00:56:47,710
So Jupiter and Saturn changed direction.

737
00:56:47,710 --> 00:56:49,220
What happens to them?

738
00:56:49,220 --> 00:56:52,350
So they had come all the way into the inner solar system,

739
00:56:52,350 --> 00:56:53,280
and now they're turning around

740
00:56:53,280 --> 00:56:55,600
and going all the way back out.

741
00:56:55,600 --> 00:56:58,870
And so they start encountering all of the small asteroids,

742
00:56:58,870 --> 00:57:01,600
that they had thrown further out in the solar system.

743
00:57:01,600 --> 00:57:03,240
And they throw some of those back,

744
00:57:03,240 --> 00:57:05,090
and they end up in the asteroid belt.

745
00:57:06,090 --> 00:57:08,520
This was the most significant incident

746
00:57:08,520 --> 00:57:10,770
in the history of the solar system,

747
00:57:10,770 --> 00:57:12,913
the great planetary migration.

748
00:57:15,750 --> 00:57:17,870
Walsh believes that this migration

749
00:57:17,870 --> 00:57:22,100
swept the building blocks of life toward Earth.

750
00:57:22,100 --> 00:57:25,163
Let's take a look at this grand spectacle.

751
00:57:34,540 --> 00:57:37,400
4.5 billion years ago,

752
00:57:37,400 --> 00:57:39,290
the newly formed solar system

753
00:57:39,290 --> 00:57:41,963
is wrapped in a dense field of gas.

754
00:57:43,550 --> 00:57:46,080
First, Jupiter forms.

755
00:57:46,080 --> 00:57:49,320
It is the largest planet in the solar system.

756
00:57:49,320 --> 00:57:51,570
Pressed by the drifting gasses,

757
00:57:51,570 --> 00:57:54,023
Jupiter begins to move toward the sun.

758
00:57:57,990 --> 00:58:01,113
The great planetary migration has begun.

759
00:58:10,150 --> 00:58:13,840
In Jupiter's path, lie rocky asteroids.

760
00:58:13,840 --> 00:58:16,170
When the planet passes close by,

761
00:58:16,170 --> 00:58:18,523
they are scattered in all directions.

762
00:58:19,677 --> 00:58:23,010
(dramatic orchestral music)

763
00:58:23,010 --> 00:58:26,453
Some of them land on Earth, in its primitive stage.

764
00:58:27,780 --> 00:58:29,963
This is how the Earth came to be.

765
00:58:35,510 --> 00:58:37,020
After some delay,

766
00:58:37,020 --> 00:58:40,313
Saturn too, begins to migrate toward the sun.

767
00:58:44,620 --> 00:58:47,210
Then the migration comes to a halt,

768
00:58:47,210 --> 00:58:49,060
for the time being.

769
00:58:49,060 --> 00:58:53,373
But an even greater convulsion is waiting in the future.

770
00:58:55,850 --> 00:58:58,060
The gas around Jupiter and Saturn

771
00:58:58,060 --> 00:59:01,440
is drawn in and scattered by the planets,

772
00:59:01,440 --> 00:59:03,233
and steadily dissipates.

773
00:59:06,620 --> 00:59:09,910
As the flow of gas towards the sun diminishes,

774
00:59:09,910 --> 00:59:13,840
the force pushing the planets inward is reduced.

775
00:59:13,840 --> 00:59:16,300
The two planets influence each other,

776
00:59:16,300 --> 00:59:18,270
and move in resonance,

777
00:59:18,270 --> 00:59:21,803
migrating back into the outer region of the solar system.

778
00:59:22,790 --> 00:59:25,720
Floating in that outer region are asteroids

779
00:59:25,720 --> 00:59:29,420
that contain large amounts of ice and carbon.

780
00:59:29,420 --> 00:59:32,213
Ryugu is this type of asteroid.

781
00:59:33,130 --> 00:59:37,810
Within these asteroids there are areas like hot springs,

782
00:59:37,810 --> 00:59:40,453
that retain the heat from when the asteroid formed.

783
00:59:41,480 --> 00:59:44,617
This is where those building blocks of life on Earth,

784
00:59:44,617 --> 00:59:47,533
the long chains of carbon, are created.

785
00:59:50,280 --> 00:59:52,940
Jupiter and Saturn pass through the region

786
00:59:52,940 --> 00:59:55,913
that contains a multitude of these asteroids.

787
00:59:57,020 --> 00:59:59,280
These asteroids are stirred up,

788
00:59:59,280 --> 01:00:01,560
and like the seeds of a dandelion,

789
01:00:01,560 --> 01:00:04,000
scatter in all directions,

790
01:00:04,000 --> 01:00:06,353
carrying the building blocks of life.

791
01:00:09,460 --> 01:00:12,960
Some of those asteroids roam through the solar system,

792
01:00:12,960 --> 01:00:14,873
eventually land on Earth.

793
01:00:20,520 --> 01:00:23,950
Large numbers of asteroids, like Ryugu,

794
01:00:23,950 --> 01:00:25,003
fall onto Earth.

795
01:00:31,350 --> 01:00:34,920
In this fashion, a tremendous cache of the ingredients

796
01:00:34,920 --> 01:00:37,603
that make life, was brought to Earth.

797
01:00:41,310 --> 01:00:44,490
This was the grand migration of the planets,

798
01:00:44,490 --> 01:00:47,753
that made possible life on Earth.

799
01:00:49,330 --> 01:00:51,370
One important effect of the grand tack,

800
01:00:51,370 --> 01:00:53,250
is to send C type asteroids,

801
01:00:53,250 --> 01:00:56,010
from way in the outer part of the solar system,

802
01:00:56,010 --> 01:00:59,153
into the asteroid belt, and eventually onto the Earth.

803
01:01:00,270 --> 01:01:01,630
Otherwise, the Earth would have been built

804
01:01:01,630 --> 01:01:04,613
from mostly dry, organic, poor material.

805
01:01:07,356 --> 01:01:08,189
That is something we're doing,

806
01:01:08,189 --> 01:01:09,560
that is something that I visit too,

807
01:01:09,560 --> 01:01:12,040
by going to a C type asteroid

808
01:01:12,040 --> 01:01:14,160
and bringing back a sample,

809
01:01:14,160 --> 01:01:16,433
might help to answer some of those questions.

810
01:01:20,050 --> 01:01:22,870
20 days after the blast on Ryugu,

811
01:01:22,870 --> 01:01:25,800
the danger of flying fragments has passed,

812
01:01:25,800 --> 01:01:29,423
and Hayabusa2 turns to recording images of the crater.

813
01:01:30,410 --> 01:01:33,600
Results are monitored in the operations room.

814
01:01:33,600 --> 01:01:37,683
The images from Hayabusa2 will be delivered here, first.

815
01:01:39,640 --> 01:01:41,803
Saiki can't wait to see them.

816
01:01:51,810 --> 01:01:54,460
They get their first look at the crater.

817
01:01:56,760 --> 01:02:00,690
Compared to the image of the ground before the explosion,

818
01:02:00,690 --> 01:02:03,090
the surface has been blasted away,

819
01:02:03,090 --> 01:02:06,633
leaving a large hole, with a diameter of 10 meters.

820
01:02:35,020 --> 01:02:36,500
At the bottom of the hole,

821
01:02:36,500 --> 01:02:40,553
the long sought after subsurface material lay exposed.

822
01:02:42,610 --> 01:02:44,750
The surest way of getting a sample,

823
01:02:44,750 --> 01:02:47,713
would be landing Hayabusa2 in the crater.

824
01:02:50,260 --> 01:02:52,940
But they encounter a formidable problem,

825
01:02:52,940 --> 01:02:56,103
that renders that plan unworkable.

826
01:03:02,560 --> 01:03:04,810
There are two large rocks in the crater,

827
01:03:04,810 --> 01:03:07,373
that would block Hayabusa2's descent.

828
01:03:17,050 --> 01:03:21,230
In addition, because the sides of the crater are steep,

829
01:03:21,230 --> 01:03:24,573
it proves impossible to land the probe in the hole.

830
01:03:25,550 --> 01:03:27,580
Is there a way to get the samples

831
01:03:27,580 --> 01:03:30,040
without landing in the crater?

832
01:03:30,040 --> 01:03:32,830
The project team conducts numerous experiments

833
01:03:32,830 --> 01:03:36,573
under conditions mimicking those in outer space.

834
01:03:40,230 --> 01:03:43,780
This test fires a projectile into material,

835
01:03:43,780 --> 01:03:46,283
that represents the surface of Ryugu.

836
01:03:49,990 --> 01:03:52,320
The marble is a large boulder,

837
01:03:52,320 --> 01:03:55,050
black sand represents the surface,

838
01:03:55,050 --> 01:03:58,493
and white sand is the material below the surface.

839
01:04:09,860 --> 01:04:11,940
The projectile hits,

840
01:04:11,940 --> 01:04:15,040
the marbles, representing rocks, are blown away,

841
01:04:15,040 --> 01:04:17,623
along with the white subsurface sand.

842
01:04:19,070 --> 01:04:21,000
The subsurface material falls

843
01:04:21,000 --> 01:04:22,973
a great distance from the crater.

844
01:04:26,050 --> 01:04:28,380
Hayabusa2 could still gather samples

845
01:04:28,380 --> 01:04:32,643
by landing near the crater, instead of inside it.

846
01:04:39,000 --> 01:04:40,997
Where is the best spot near the crater,

847
01:04:40,997 --> 01:04:43,263
for Hayabusa2 to land?

848
01:04:44,180 --> 01:04:46,093
The team ponders the issue.

849
01:04:51,800 --> 01:04:54,760
After thorough analysis of the topography,

850
01:04:54,760 --> 01:04:57,253
two possible landing areas emerge.

851
01:04:59,150 --> 01:05:01,400
A relatively flat and safer area

852
01:05:01,400 --> 01:05:03,960
on the south side of the crater,

853
01:05:03,960 --> 01:05:07,433
and a rocky, and more dangerous area, on the north.

854
01:05:09,990 --> 01:05:12,660
The north area is closer to the crater,

855
01:05:12,660 --> 01:05:16,083
and so would likely have more of the subsurface material.

856
01:05:17,320 --> 01:05:19,980
But most of the scientists argued against landing

857
01:05:19,980 --> 01:05:22,600
in the more perilous northern area.

858
01:05:22,600 --> 01:05:26,503
It ran the risk of losing the space probe entirely.

859
01:05:38,420 --> 01:05:40,933
It was then that Saiki spoke up.

860
01:05:59,750 --> 01:06:01,330
He contended that it was worth

861
01:06:01,330 --> 01:06:03,530
taking the greater risk.

862
01:06:03,530 --> 01:06:06,550
The prize could be source of life on Earth,

863
01:06:06,550 --> 01:06:08,060
and landing on the north

864
01:06:08,060 --> 01:06:11,900
put them closer to more subsurface material.

865
01:06:11,900 --> 01:06:14,820
However, the meeting concluded that the craft

866
01:06:14,820 --> 01:06:17,630
should proceed with preparations for landing

867
01:06:17,630 --> 01:06:19,583
on the crater's south side.

868
01:06:27,420 --> 01:06:30,643
May 16th, 2019,

869
01:06:30,643 --> 01:06:32,390
Hayabusa2 is to descend

870
01:06:32,390 --> 01:06:34,530
on the south side of the crater,

871
01:06:34,530 --> 01:06:38,710
and approach to just 10 meters above the surface.

872
01:06:38,710 --> 01:06:40,810
The plan calls for the probe to release

873
01:06:40,810 --> 01:06:43,653
a target marker as a guide for the landing.

874
01:06:44,775 --> 01:06:47,163
Hayabusa2 steadily descends.

875
01:06:53,720 --> 01:06:57,303
When it reaches a height of 50 meters above the asteroid.

876
01:07:03,150 --> 01:07:05,940
Hayabusa2 aborts its descent,

877
01:07:05,940 --> 01:07:09,103
and begins an emergency climb away from Ryugu.

878
01:07:17,330 --> 01:07:18,920
Dropping the target marker

879
01:07:18,920 --> 01:07:21,480
was now out of the question.

880
01:07:21,480 --> 01:07:25,360
However, the camera team, preparing for the worst,

881
01:07:25,360 --> 01:07:27,073
had made a contingency plan.

882
01:07:46,800 --> 01:07:49,393
The result was an unexpected gift.

883
01:07:50,240 --> 01:07:53,000
This is the photograph that was taken.

884
01:07:53,000 --> 01:07:55,290
It provided the first detailed picture

885
01:07:55,290 --> 01:07:57,193
of the area north of the crater.

886
01:07:58,250 --> 01:08:00,280
After analyzing the image,

887
01:08:00,280 --> 01:08:02,710
it was found that there was a flat area,

888
01:08:02,710 --> 01:08:06,233
albeit narrow, where a landing was possible.

889
01:08:12,300 --> 01:08:15,750
Around that time, further analysis detailed

890
01:08:15,750 --> 01:08:18,853
how the subsurface material had disbursed.

891
01:08:19,990 --> 01:08:22,020
Rihonda's attention was drawn

892
01:08:22,020 --> 01:08:24,140
to how the color of the material

893
01:08:24,140 --> 01:08:27,023
was different from the surface of the asteroid.

894
01:08:31,010 --> 01:08:34,660
Comparing images from before and after the blast,

895
01:08:34,660 --> 01:08:37,110
the slight difference in their color was evident.

896
01:08:40,480 --> 01:08:44,070
Based on the direction of sunlight falling on the surface,

897
01:08:44,070 --> 01:08:46,983
corrections were made to bring out the true color.

898
01:08:48,220 --> 01:08:51,573
This was the result of the painstaking analysis.

899
01:08:52,510 --> 01:08:56,470
The subsurface material appears black in the image.

900
01:08:56,470 --> 01:08:59,500
It did not spread in an even circle,

901
01:08:59,500 --> 01:09:02,903
but rather was concentrated on the north side.

902
01:09:21,430 --> 01:09:23,830
A thick layer of subsurface material

903
01:09:23,830 --> 01:09:26,260
had settled on the north side,

904
01:09:26,260 --> 01:09:29,390
with these results as the deciding factor,

905
01:09:29,390 --> 01:09:33,270
a landing on the north side, as Saiki had advocated,

906
01:09:33,270 --> 01:09:34,243
was agreed on.

907
01:09:39,760 --> 01:09:43,020
July 11th, 2019.

908
01:09:43,020 --> 01:09:45,283
The day of the landing has arrived.

909
01:09:53,040 --> 01:09:55,050
This is a graphic visualization

910
01:09:55,050 --> 01:09:59,153
of the actual flight data Hayabusa2 sent to JAXA.

911
01:10:03,950 --> 01:10:06,310
The probe descends toward the landing area

912
01:10:06,310 --> 01:10:07,773
north of the crater.

913
01:10:11,160 --> 01:10:13,680
At an altitude of 500 meters,

914
01:10:13,680 --> 01:10:16,490
it reaches the final checkpoint.

915
01:10:16,490 --> 01:10:20,563
A decision must be made to continue the landing or abort.

916
01:10:33,730 --> 01:10:37,500
Only after all 13 teams have signed off,

917
01:10:37,500 --> 01:10:40,063
will the landing be given the go sign.

918
01:10:53,243 --> 01:10:54,820
The command to carry out the landing

919
01:10:54,820 --> 01:10:57,390
is sent to Hayabusa2.

920
01:10:57,390 --> 01:10:59,883
There is no turning back now.

921
01:11:03,470 --> 01:11:07,693
At 9:40 the probe is 30 minutes from its target zone.

922
01:11:08,800 --> 01:11:10,760
It is heading toward a landing zone

923
01:11:10,760 --> 01:11:12,830
on the north side of the crater,

924
01:11:12,830 --> 01:11:15,570
that is only seven meters across.

925
01:11:15,570 --> 01:11:17,220
A tight fit.

926
01:11:17,220 --> 01:11:18,680
The probe itself?

927
01:11:18,680 --> 01:11:20,383
Six meters across.

928
01:11:26,791 --> 01:11:29,291
(tense music)

929
01:11:31,790 --> 01:11:33,910
Avoiding the dangerous boulders,

930
01:11:33,910 --> 01:11:35,803
it descends carefully.

931
01:11:41,270 --> 01:11:45,163
At this point, the Hayabusa craft tilts to one side.

932
01:11:46,130 --> 01:11:48,780
In order to avoid the boulder on the left,

933
01:11:48,780 --> 01:11:51,053
the craft changed its approach angle.

934
01:11:55,120 --> 01:11:56,970
This was the final maneuver

935
01:11:56,970 --> 01:11:58,883
for making a successful landing.

936
01:12:07,000 --> 01:12:09,763
Finally, it prepares to touch down.

937
01:12:13,340 --> 01:12:17,623
10:06 and 18 seconds, touchdown.

938
01:12:18,800 --> 01:12:21,600
At that instant, it fires a bullet,

939
01:12:21,600 --> 01:12:25,453
and collects the fragments of rock that swirl upwards.

940
01:12:35,301 --> 01:12:38,801
(cheering and applauding)

941
01:12:41,055 --> 01:12:44,722
(dramatic orchestral music)

942
01:12:47,727 --> 01:12:50,420
Hayabusa2 had retrieved the key

943
01:12:50,420 --> 01:12:53,880
to understanding the roots of life on Earth,

944
01:12:53,880 --> 01:12:57,293
a goal pursued by scientists all over the world.

945
01:13:10,320 --> 01:13:13,523
This is the actual footage of the landing.

946
01:13:16,400 --> 01:13:19,720
The sampler horn touches down without fail,

947
01:13:19,720 --> 01:13:21,943
and captures the precious cargo,

948
01:13:22,870 --> 01:13:25,560
the asteroid's subsurface material,

949
01:13:25,560 --> 01:13:30,490
that may unlock the mystery of the origins of life.

950
01:13:30,490 --> 01:13:33,083
It's a historic achievement.

951
01:13:40,100 --> 01:13:44,350
Now Hayabusa2 is heading toward its home planet,

952
01:13:44,350 --> 01:13:47,233
bearing a load of fragments from the asteroid.

953
01:13:50,870 --> 01:13:53,693
It will reach Earth in late 2020.

954
01:13:59,910 --> 01:14:03,340
A capsule containing the materials from Ryugu,

955
01:14:03,340 --> 01:14:05,400
will be detached in space,

956
01:14:05,400 --> 01:14:08,630
and head toward its final challenge,

957
01:14:08,630 --> 01:14:10,843
entry into Earth's atmosphere.

958
01:14:16,570 --> 01:14:20,013
What surprising new knowledge will that capsule carry?

959
01:14:22,281 --> 01:14:24,420
(dramatic orchestral music)

960
01:14:24,420 --> 01:14:26,030
When it's open,

961
01:14:26,030 --> 01:14:28,990
it may well shed new light on the deep bonds

962
01:14:29,910 --> 01:14:32,313
that link our lives to the universe.

963
01:14:33,815 --> 01:14:37,482
(dramatic orchestral music)