The ARES Team
The ARES Team
Keiko Nakamura-Messenger
Mission Co-I Keiko Nakamura-Messenger is the NASA Hayabusa2 sample curator of the 10% of the returned sample by the mission under the NASA custody. As the sample curator, Keiko establishes procedures for sample handling and distribution, sample documentation (imaging, catalog database development etc.), and long-term curation planning to ensure the integrity of the collected sample.
Driss Takir
Driss Takir is a US participating scientist and a Co-I on the Hayabusa2 mission, supporting Hayabusa2’s NIRS3 team and characterizing asteroid Ryugu by using reflectance spectra that cover the 3-µm absorption band. As part of his involvement with Hayabusa2, Takir built a spectral library that includes spectra of carbonaceous chondrites measured under asteroid-like conditions. Takir and collaborators are developing new mapping techniques and creating high-resolution mineralogical maps that will provide geological context for the returned Ryugu samples. Takir is also a part of the investigation team that will initially analyze the returned carbonaceous samples from Ryugu.
Paul Abell
Paul Abell is a Co-I on the Optical Navigation Camera (ONC) and acts as the NASA liaison to the JAXA Hayabusa2 team. His duties include aiding landing and sample site selection at Ryugu, coordinating JAXA and NASA mission interests, and supporting communication between the Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx missions with respect to lessons learned. He will continue supporting Hayabusa2 into its extended mission phase as it prepares for encounters with asteroids 2001 CC21 in 2026 and 1998 KY26 in 2031.
Mike Zolensky
Mike Zolensky is a Hayabusa2 Mission Science Team member and a spacecraft Optical Navigation Camera Team member. In addition to these duties, he is the Deputy Leader of Mineralogy-Petrology Preliminary Sample Analysis team.
Ann Nguyen
As a Participating Scientist, Ann Nguyen will analyze Ryugu samples using the NanoSIMS 50L ion probe to characterize the isotopic compositions of presolar, organic, and fine-grained nebular materials. These analyses will help to investigate the history of hydrothermal alteration on the parent body and assess how primitive asteroid Ryugu is compared to carbonaceous chondrites.
Christopher Snead
Christopher Snead has been involved in the design, procurement and installation of equipment and facilities for the receipt of Ryugu asteroid samples from JAXA’s Hayabusa2 mission, with an emphasis on sub-mm scale particle handling and analysis.
Rachel Funk
Rachel Funk will help prepare laboratories where the Ryugu material will be stored and curated. She will also help to develop sample handling procedures for this precious material that will help to keep the material pristine. Additionally, Rachel will process and prepare samples of the material to be allocated to the world-wide scientific community.
Wayland Connelly
Wayland Connelly is a member of the curation R&D engineering support team. Specifically for Hayabusa 2 he is designing a mechanical manipulator to aid in sample processing.
The Hayabusa2 Mission
Hayabusa2 Mission to Asteroid 162173 Ryugu. Hayabusa2 is an asteroid sample-return mission operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).