20 May 2025
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Ryugu

News

Japanese spacecraft snags second sample from asteroid

11 July 2019 Stephen Clark

Scientists celebrated another success with Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft late Wednesday (U.S. time), when the robot explorer accomplished a second pinpoint touch-and-go landing on asteroid Ryugu, this time to collect a sample of pristine dust and rock excavated by an explosive impactor earlier this year.

News

Hayabusa 2 cleared for second touchdown on asteroid

5 July 2019 Stephen Clark

Ground teams have approved plans for Japan’s Hayabusa 2 sample return mission to briefly land on asteroid Ryugu for the second time on 11 July, aiming for a targeted touch-and-go to gather material exposed by an explosive impactor released by the robot explorer in April.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

News

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.

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News Headlines

  • The Universe
    Universe’s end – sooner rather than later
    16 May 2025
  • T Coronae Borealis
    A faint star will reveal itself as it throws a hissy-fit
    26 March 2025
  • Saturn
    Saturn’s Rings to “Disappear”
    24 March 2025
  • Big Bang
    The Lithium Problem
    17 March 2025
  • Uranus' moon Ariel.
    Discover the many fascinating moons of our Solar System
    17 March 2025
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