Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 4h

Stretch! #NorahNeko

A calico cat is curled on my knee while I’m sitting at my desk. Her front paws are pressed over her face and her back legs are stretched out at odd angles.

Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 4h

With the launch looming in approximately one year from now, messages (hopefully predominately) of good luck and excitement were added to cloths depicting the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft 🛰️. I think we had four filled by the end of the open day!

A large cloth depicting the MMX spacecraft landing on Phobos is covered with written messages.

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 8h

20 years ago, Hayabusa collected a sample from asteroid Itokawa. Damaged by a huge solar flare, the spacecraft still returned the sample capsule to Earth in 2010. With no way to save the spacecraft, JAXA rotated Hayabusa so that its cameras could see Earth before burning up in the atmosphere 🛰️.

A large poster at the ISAS JAXA Sagamihara open day, showing a picture of Hayabusa visiting asteroid Itokawa with text celebrating 20 years since touchdown.

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 9h

Solid point!

Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 14h

It’s our open day at ISAS. A terrifying prospect, and it’s pouring with rain. But this is a half-scale model of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft. HALF SCALE. It’s the biggest spacecraft we’ve ever built 😳

A view from above of the lobby at the Sagamihara campus for ISAS JAXA. The space is dominated by a large spacecraft model, covered in gold and flanked by large solar panels. Even at half size, it towers cover the visitors.

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 15h

Not bad, but a bit sweet.

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 15h

It was quite sweet. Not bad, but probably not a regular go-to!

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 15h

Went to a K-pop concert for NCT DREAM which had been recorded in 3D for #VR! It was hosted on Horizons, so you could go with friends (in this case, @futuremeetings.bsky.social buddies!) and while it’s obviously different to a billion people concert, it’s a front row seat and great social experience!

Snap from the concert. On the stage immediately in front of my virtual seat is the seven-member boy band NCT DREAM, dancing to one of their numbers.

Another front row seat view. The band are silhouetted against the stage lights as the song ends.

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 1d

A seasonable sweet potato milk drink is a very Japan’s take on pumpkin spice 🍠🥛

My hand holding a plastic bottle containing a yellow drink. The label says (in Japanese) that this is a sweet potatoe flavoured milk drink. There is a picture of a sweet potato to enforce this image!

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, but unavailable!

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 2d

It’s good to be home 🙂 #NorahNeko

A calico cat is lying on my lap while I’m seated at my desk at home. She looks relaxed and glad to be back too!

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 3d

And then we’re back and Australia could have been a dream… but there are hints 😂

A large plastic tub of Vegemite sits on a kitchen counter.

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 4d

KANGANAUT! 👩‍🚀🦘That is all.

A kangaroo plushie dressed in an astronaut suit stands on a table surrounded by stickers to take. The kangaroo is carrying a boomerang and an Aboriginal flag.

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 4d

JAXA work closely with the ASA (Australian Space Agency) for the capsule delivery, so I think that the engagement would be from the ASA.

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 4d

Ready to roll! 🎲 🛰️

Chairs set up around a large screen and lectern at the Adelaide Space Discovery Centre, HQ of the Australian Space Agency.

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 4d

Today! In just under three hours 🧪🛰️🔭

Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 5d

Tomorrow (10/07) at 10:30am ACDT, JAXA ISAS Director General Fujimoto Masaki will give a talk (online and on-site) about the Hayabusa2 mission 🛰️🔭, as a fragment of asteroid Ryugu is unveiled for display at the Australian Space Discovery Centre in Adelaide 🪨! Register below (all free!) 🧪

www.space.gov.au

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 5d

Time to eat the local fauna 🦘

A selfie of me grinning behind a suspended skewer of kangaroo meat, hanging over a bed of chunky chips.

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Reposted by Elizabeth Tasker

Jack Ryan 🙏🧪 @jacksonwryan.com · 5d

One of my favourite long term writing and reporting projects ever.

Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 5d

The return of the Hayabusa2 sample capsule to Australia, and a wonderfully personal account of the mission, was written by @jacksonwryan.com. Fujimoto Masaki led the recovery team, and he insisted that JAXA allocate a Ryugu sample grain to be displayed in Adelaide as soon as they requested.

Journey to the Dragon Palace: Inside Japan's daring 10-year mission to visit asteroid Ryugu

Here is how Japan's space agency pulled off a daring expedition to snatch pieces of the ancient space rock Ryugu.

www.cnet.com

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 5d

The return of the Hayabusa2 sample capsule to Australia, and a wonderfully personal account of the mission, was written by @jacksonwryan.com. Fujimoto Masaki led the recovery team, and he insisted that JAXA allocate a Ryugu sample grain to be displayed in Adelaide as soon as they requested.

Journey to the Dragon Palace: Inside Japan's daring 10-year mission to visit asteroid Ryugu

Here is how Japan's space agency pulled off a daring expedition to snatch pieces of the ancient space rock Ryugu.

www.cnet.com

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 5d

Adelaide is the nearest big city to the Woomera desert, where the Hayabusa2 sample capsule landed in December 2020. So this tiny grain is coming back to its first home 🤩

Discussions are now in full-swing to land the capsule for the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission in Woomera in 2031 ☄️

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 5d

Tomorrow (10/07) at 10:30am ACDT, JAXA ISAS Director General Fujimoto Masaki will give a talk (online and on-site) about the Hayabusa2 mission 🛰️🔭, as a fragment of asteroid Ryugu is unveiled for display at the Australian Space Discovery Centre in Adelaide 🪨! Register below (all free!) 🧪

www.space.gov.au

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 6d

Doesn't seem to!

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 6d

A JAXA masu (square wooden box used for drinking sake) that were themed for the #IAC2025 this year in Sydney!

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 8d

Unfortunately, I’m visiting friends in the blue mountains tomorrow and then I have to head to Adelaide for the new asteroid grain exhibit there 🙁

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Elizabeth Tasker @elizabethtasker.bsky.social · 8d

It’s public day at the # IAC2025. A small child, dressed in an astronaut costume, rushed the JAXA booth and hugged the model H3 rocket which wobbled dangerously.

It’s six minutes past 9. Pray for me.

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