Hayabusa 2

Samples taken from the near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu continue to provide scientists with important insights. The discovery of the nucleobase uracil, a part of RNA, in the samples, hints at the potential beginnings of life on our planet.

Data collected by Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft during its historic touchdown on asteroid Ryugu has revealed surprising characteristics of the ancient space rock, including signs of a close encounter with the Sun.

The Hayabusa 2 spacecraft has sent a third and final rover toward asteroid Ryugu, as mission control begins to think about bringing the probe and its precious samples home.

​​The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has released a video showing the climactic moments of the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft’s second descent to the surface of asteroid Ryugu, which took place on July 11, 2019.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has confirmed that, earlier this month, its Hayabusa2 deep space probe became the first spacecraft to successfully bomb an asteroid.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is working to confirm that its experiment to bomb the asteroid Ryugu was successful. Today, JAXA's unmanned Hayabusa2 deep space probe deployed the SCI (Small Carry-on Impactor), which is designed to blow a hole in the surface of Ryugu.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency​ (JAXA) has released footage of the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft descending and making contact with the primordial asteroid Ryugu. During the rendezvous, the probe shot a bullet into the surface to kick up a sample for return to Earth sometime late in 2020.