Hayabusa 2 Launches For Asteroid Digging Mission

Japan’s Hayabusa 2 (Image Credit: JAXA)

Hayabusa 2 was launched Wednesday and heading to an asteroid. It is an asteroid sample return mission operated by the Japanese space agency, JAXA. Hayabusa 2 is expected to arrive at the target in July 2018, survey the asteroid for a year and a half, depart in December 2019, and return to Earth in December 2020.

The spacecraft features ion engines, upgraded guidance and navigation technology, antennas and attitude control systems. Operations at the asteroid will be similar to those of the previous Hayabusa, but with an explosive device to dig the asteroid surface for fresh sample material.

Hayabusa2, which was launched from Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan, is a rectangular unit with two sets of solar panels sticking out from its sides. The main unit measures 1 x 1.6 x 1.4 meters (3.3 x 5.2 x 4.6 feet) and weighs about 600 kilograms (1,300 pounds).