ALBION & AEROCONCEPT TEAM UP TO FLY ASTEROID GRAINS FROM JAPAN TO GERMANY...
Albion and aeroconcept recently teamed up to fly asteroid grains originating from the asteroid Ryugu, which were collected by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency from their 2018 space mission “Hayabua 2”. The grains were transported by an On-Board Courier (OBC) from Japan to Germany for the Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany. Read the full account of our courier's journey as written by James Wyatt (aeroconcept GM) below:
“When embarking on the launch of the On Board Courier (OBC) product I certainly didn’t expect the call which came in mid-April from the Goethe University in Frankfurt. The request, from Dr. Beverley Tkalcec was to bring Asteroid grains from Sendai, Japan to the Goethe University in Frankfurt, where the samples would be tested in a secure scientific environment before collecting the samples at the end of July and delivering them back to Sendai, Japan.
The asteroid grains were collected directly from the asteroid Ryugu in the Hayabua2 space mission with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in June 2018.
Such a project naturally requires significant time for preparation and execution. Owing to the great sensitivity surrounding this mission I decided to take the mission on myself. Whilst not being significantly fascinated by space flight, even as an aviation enthusiast, it was simply impossible not to get drawn into this project.
The first point of contact was Dr. Beverley Tkalcec at the Goethe University in Frankfurt and we spent a lot of time together, preparing the foundation of the mission.
The current global circumstances of course make travel more challenging and non more so than Japan in the last few months. Currently the country is closed to any type of foreign visitor, with a strict visa approval program and a mandated 14 day quarantine on arrival. This made the initial view of the mission extremely challenging from a logistical point of view.
Through the development of a small project team both in Germany and Japan we were able to start the process. The biggest obstacle was the collection of the samples in Japan and the approval for that. With a direct application at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and several forms, certified letters and approvals my single entry visa was granted less than 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure, 2 months after the process started. After obtaining the Visa from the Japanese embassy in Berlin I headed to Japan. In order to reduce the complexity and ban on any kind of domestic travel for foreigners we agreed on the sample handover in Tokyo with the lead Professor from the Tohoku university operating the domestic leg of the transport.I collected the samples on Saturday 10th July from Prof. Dr. Tomoki Nakamura at Narita airport and left Japan on Sunday 11th for the trip back to Germany via the Gulf. Transiting always adds a layer of potential complexity, however due to a precise preparation, aligned with the airline, everything went exactly to plan.
On arrival in Frankfurt on Monday 12th July I was greeted by Professor Dr. Frank Brenker and a Television / Radio news crew (HR Fernsehen (https://www.hr-fernsehen.de) who took some interviews and photos. Now the samples are on their way to Grenoble in France together with a team, led by Professor Dr. Frank Brenker where the samples will be analysed in a very minute detail. I’ll step into the project again in just under 3 weeks, bringing the tested asteroid grains, in a secure condition back to Tokyo. Planning is well underway for the return mission and we are looking forward to continue our working relationship with the Japanese Ministry in Tokyo and Berlin.
Extremely delighted to be involved in such a project and to see the front line view with the client every step of the way. The perfect example of a ‘can do attitude’, something that Lewis King and myself pride ourselves on with our OBC product.
A huge thank you to the dedicated professionals at the Tohoku University in Japan and the Goethe University in Frankfurt. We are very honoured to have your trust placed in our product for such a critical mission.”
aeroconcept: Bringing Concept to Life
