This asteroid probe is the sequel to the Hayabusa probe, designed for returning asteroid samples. By investigating a different type of asteroid (type C) from the Itokawa asteroid (type S) that was the target of Hayabusa, Hayabusa 2 will explore not only the origins of the planets but also the origin of the water of Earth’s oceans and the source of life.
Hayabusa 2 will more or less follow the sample return method carried out by the first Hayabusa. However, many improvements have been made to increase reliability so that missions can be completed with greater accuracy. On the other hand, the probe will be put towards new missions using new technology such as technology for creating artificial craters on the surface of the asteroid and carrying back samples of the underground soil. Improving probe technology for astronomical objects in the solar system is an important goal of Hayabusa 2.
Hayabusa 2 aims to examine the Ryugu asteroid (162173). Ryugu is a type C asteroid, but it is believed that there were organic matter and water on the asteroid when the solar system was created (roughly 4.6 billion years ago) and that these still exist. The second goal of Hayabusa 2 is to solve questions such as where the Earth’s water came from and where the organic matter which makes up life was created. Still another goal of Hayabusa 2 is to examine how the planets were created through the collision, destruction, and combination of the planetesimals which are thought to have been created first. In short, Hayabusa 2 is a mission designed to elucidate the secrets of the creation of life and the birth of the solar system.
Name | Hayabusa2 |
---|---|
Target body | Ryugu (C-type, Near Earth Object) |
Launch Date | 3 December 2014 |
Launch Location | Tanegashima Space Center |
Launch Vehicle | H-IIA Launch Vehicle No.26 |
Mass | Approx. 600kg |
Orbit | Round trip between Earth and an asteroid |
Arrival at Asteroid | 27 June 2018 |
MINERVA-II 1 Deployment | 21 September 2018 |
MASCOT Deployment | 3 October 2018 |
1st Touchdown | 22 February 2019 |
Crater Formation by SCI | 5 April 2019 |
2nd Touchdown | 11 July 2019 |
MINERVA-II 2 Deployment | 3 October 2019 |
Departure from Asteroid | 13 November 2019 |
Return to Earth | 6 December 2020 JST (Capsule landing) |
Major onboard instruments | Sampler mechanism, Re-entry capsule, Laser ranging (LIDAR, light detection and ranging), Scientific mission equipment (near infrared and thermal infrared), Impactor, Rover (MINERVA-II) |
Links
- Twitter | @haya2e_jaxa
- Haya2NOW
- Printed Material | Hayabusa2 Project
- Hayabusa2 1st Touchdown movie (CAM-H) | YouTube
- Hayabusa2 2nd Touchdown movie (CAM-H) | YouTube
- Extended mission | Hayabusa2 project
- Mission CG | YouTube
- Hayabusa2 Earth Return | YouTube
- Hayabusa2 Operation | YouTube
- Mission Control Live | YouTube
- Press Briefing | YouTube
- Hayabusa2 Mission Digest 2018 | YouTube
- Hayabusa2 Remote Sensing Instruments | YouTube
- Hayabusa2: Arrival at Asteroid Ryugu (June 27, 2018) | YouTube
- Launch of Hayabusa2 Quick reviewed movie (2014/12) | YouTube
- Asteroid Explorer "Hayabusa2" Launch Live Broadcast (2014/12/3) | YouTube