Ryugu – Astronomy Now

Japanese probe lands on asteroid to capture sample

24 February 2019 Stephen Clark

Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft briefly landed on an asteroid Thursday more than 200 million miles from Earth and fired a bullet to scoop up a rocky sample, successfully accomplishing one of the mission’s most challenging manoeuvres before returning the asteroid specimen to scientists on the ground in December 2020.

Hayabusa2 drops European MASCOT lander onto asteroid Ryugu

3 October 2018 Astronomy Now

A small lander built by the German and French space agencies tumbled to a successful low-gravity landing on the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu after release from Japan’s Hayabusa2 sample return spacecraft.

Japan’s Hayabusa2 lands two rovers on asteroid Ryugu

24 September 2018 Astronomy Now

Japan’s Hayabusa2 sample return spacecraft successfully deployed two small landers that dropped to the surface of an astroid known as Ryugu and then began hopping about in a major milestone for the ambitious mission.

Asteroid missions on track to reach their destinations in 2018

18 January 2018 Stephen Clark

Pioneering spacecraft from NASA and the Japanese space agency promise to reveal two unexplored asteroids later this year, officials said Wednesday, beginning surveys that will culminate in daring descents to capture samples for return to Earth, where eager scientists await a hands-on look at the specimens.