A Japanese space probe will fire a
JAXA scientists had expected to find a powdery surface on Ryugu, but tests showed that the asteroid is covered in larger gravel.
As a result the team had to carry out a simulation to test whether the projectile would be capable of disturbing enough material to be collected by what scientists call a „sample horn,“ which protrudes from the underside of the probe.
This video shows the success of a December 28 test, which green-lit the asteroid landing.
The team is planning three sampling events over the next few weeks.
Hayabusa 2 will depart Ryugu in December 2019 and return to Earth by the end of 2020 with its precious cargo of samples, which will be analyzed by scientists such as John Bridges, a professor of planetary science at the University of Leicester, UK.
Bridges, who was also involved in the first Hayabusa mission, told CNN via telephone that Thursday’s event will be „nail-biting stuff“ due to the extreme precision involved in landing on Ryugu.
