Hayabusa2 lands on Ryugu to begin sample collection
Japan’s Hayabusa2 space probe has descended onto the surface of Ryugu to collect the first samples of material from a carbonaceous asteroid, according to mission scientists. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency spacecraft, which was supposed to send a projectile into the asteroid’s surface to kick up matter to be collected, is set to do at least one more landing to gather more material before starting its journey back to Earth later this year.
Scientific American online (2/22)
