Space & Astronomy

Hayabusa2 probe touches down on asteroid

By T.K. Randall
February 22, 2019

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) There was a great deal to celebrate at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) command center today as the spacecraft, which launched back in 2014, landed on the surface of Ryugu.

Part of the agency's ongoing MINERVA-II1 program, the probe has been equipped with a special instrument designed to fire a small projectile in to the surface and expel material from underneath.Its ultimate goal is to collect a sample and return it to the Earth for further study.

"We made the ideal touchdown in the best conditions," said project manager Yuichi Tsuda.

If all goes well, the sample will be returned to Earth next year.

A Japanese spacecraft completed a touchdown on the surface of an asteroid, where it fired a bullet at the rock's surface rock. A successful mission could help advance understanding of how our planet formed in the early solar system. https://t.co/GSN6AzasNU

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 22, 2019

Source: AOL News

Tags: Ryugu, Asteroid