description Hayabusa2 Overview
The Hayabusa2 mission, developed by JAXA, successfully collected and returned samples from the asteroid Ryugu. This active space mission deployed a spacecraft to study the near-Earth asteroid, analyzing its composition and surface features. The returned material provides invaluable data for scientists researching the origins of our solar system and planetary formation. It is primarily utilized by researchers in planetary science and astronomy.
insights Ranking position
Hayabusa2 ranks #26 of 207 in the Space Mission ranking, behind Curiosity Mars Rover, ahead of WMAP.
help Hayabusa2 FAQ
What did Hayabusa2 bring back from asteroid Ryugu?
Hayabusa2 returned grains and fragments collected from the carbon-rich near-Earth asteroid Ryugu. Its sample capsule landed in Australia in December 2020, giving laboratories pristine extraterrestrial material that had not passed through Earth's atmosphere.
How did Hayabusa2 collect material from beneath Ryugu's surface?
JAXA used the spacecraft's Small Carry-on Impactor to fire a projectile that created an artificial crater on Ryugu. Hayabusa2 later touched down near the site and collected material exposed by the impact.
How was Hayabusa2 different from the first Hayabusa mission?
The original Hayabusa visited the stony asteroid Itokawa, while Hayabusa2 targeted the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu. Hayabusa2 also carried multiple small surface robots and successfully performed two sampling touchdowns.
What happened to the Hayabusa2 spacecraft after the sample return?
The spacecraft released its return capsule but did not land with it, allowing the main vehicle to continue an extended mission. Its later targets include the small, rapidly rotating asteroid 1998 KY26.
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