Explanation of Japan's Broader Hayabusa2 Research of Ryuga Asteroid

Japan’s Space Agency (JAXA) successfully dropped (see video above) two mini rovers (known as MINERVA-II1A and MINERVA-II1B) from its Hayabusa2 spacecraft, onto the asteroid Ryugu this week. See animated video above.

Hayabusa2 is an asteroid sample-return mission. It follows on from Hayabusa and addresses weak points identified in the Hayabusa mission.^[5] Compared to the previous Hayabusa mission, 
Hayabusa2 features improved ion engines, updated guidance and navigation technology, antennas, and attitude control systems.^[13] 

Hayabusa2 was launched on a Japanese H-IIA rocket^[12]  on 3 December 2014. Hayabusa2
 rendezvoused with near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu on 27 June 2018. Ryugu (formerly designated 1999 JU₃) is a primitive carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid. Carbonaceous asteroids are expected to preserve the most pristine materials in the Solar System, a mixture of minerals, ice, and organic compounds that interact with each other.^[7] Studying it is expected to provide additional knowledge on the origin and evolution of the inner planets and, in particular, the origin of water and organic compounds on Earth.^[8][7] A kinetic penetrator will be shot into the asteroid to expose pristine sample material.^[11][8]

Hayabusa2 is in the process of surveying the asteroid for a year and a half. Hayabusa2 then departs in December 2019, and returns to Earth in December 2020.

Hayabusa2 carries multiple science payloads for remote sensing, sampling, and four small rovers that will investigate the asteroid surface to inform the environmental context of the samples collected..."

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