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Top-level
To avoid dusting the asteroid grain into oblivion, I carefully open the protective carry case and rotated the sample container 90 degrees before very very gently placing it flat inside one of the bins for the x-ray scanner. The airport assistant promptly picked up the bin and plopped it with a bump on the conveyer belt π I wondered if I could forego the people scanner and go through as baggage, curled in one of the bins, with the asteroid grains cradled to my belly. 11 comments
I did debate "forgetting" to remove my jacket as I walked through the airport scanner. "Oh, did I forget to remove some metal? Ah... that would be my OFFICIAL JAXA BADGE! BECAUSE I'M REALLY FROM A SPACE AGENCY, AND WHEN YOU PULL MY WEIRD LUGGAGE FOR INSPECTION, IT REALLY IS AN ACTUAL ASTEROID." I resisted. Narrowly. And... nothing. No beep. The protective case slid through the x-ray scanner without further comment, and the grains were perfectly fine. My kindle had given more trouble the last time I travelled. It's a blisteringly long flight to Paris from Tokyo, due to the need to avoid Russia airspace. Yes, I did take the asteroid to the bathroom with me. Yes, my seat neighbour thought I was insane. But can you imagine losing it?! Changing flights in Paris for Toulouse, the security scanner did beep. My asteroid was about to be swabbed. I prepared my laptop for a marathon Hayabusa2 mission extravaganza. The airport attendant briefly ran a swab over the outside of the protective case, and along the inside padding. She didn't disturb the asteroid container, or even ask anything about it. With a sigh, I slid my laptop back into my bag. Then, I put the protective case into my backpack and merged with the crowds. @elizabethtasker I like this kind of stories so much. When you consider the effort of bringing things to space and back to the Earth - airport security seems just rediculous. One the other hand I'd loved to stand behind you in the queue, listened to your 4h talk on Ryugu, even though I'd missed my flight over it. @pikarl If only someone had actually asked βwhat is this?β π But it was all printed on the customs form and I got no questions except to show the box π¦ @elizabethtasker what a story π³ itβs crazy to me that such an immensely valuable package would go through normal commercial flight π Iβll think about tit when I go to see it in a few months! @at The value (or rather importance, as it's not really got commercial value) is why it must be hand carried on a flight (even though it's a regular flight), and we couldn't just send it recorded mail. @elizabethtasker Of course, I just thought it would be done by a special private flight. So many things can go wrong with commercial flights π @at That would be very cool, but I don't think anyone would be able to afford to exhibit the grains π |
Gregory's Server
Worried that no sane person would believe my story about carrying a rock from outer space, I had done something I had never done before in all my six years at the space agency.
I was wearing my official JAXA pin badge.
This small rectangular pin is given only to employees, and I was told I would have to return it when I left the agency or retired. Since it looked imminently losable, I'd hidden it in my desk.
But now (after some searching), it was pinned to the lapel of my Hayabusa2 jacket.