CurrentAsteroid Explorer Hayabusa2

Asteroid Explorer “Hayabusa2” clarifies the origin and evolution of solar system as well as life matter. It will be establishing deep space exploration technology and new challenges.

Arase (ERG) Geospace Probe

Hisaki Spectroscopic Planet Observatory Satellite

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)

CurrentAsteroid Explorer Hayabusa2

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