Hayabusa2

Hayabusa2 is a Japanese asteroid exploration mission operated by JAXA, designed to study the asteroid Ryugu (162173 Ryugu, provisional designation 1999 JU3) and return samples to Earth. It is the second asteroid sample-return mission by Japan, following the Hayabusa mission to Itokawa, and aims to characterize the physical properties of a primitive C-type asteroid, access subsurface material, and contribute to understanding the early Solar System, water, and organic compounds.

Launched on December 3, 2014, Hayabusa2 reached Ryugu in mid-2018. The spacecraft deployed a small lander called MASCOT and two Miniature Autonomous Roving Vehicles (MINERVA-II) to explore the surface. It also released a Small Carry-on Impactor (SCI) to create a crater and expose subsurface material. The mission conducted multiple sampling operations in 2019, using a sampling system to collect surface and subsurface material for return to Earth.

In December 2020, Hayabusa2 released a sample-return capsule which re-entered Earth's atmosphere and landed in Australia to recover the material. Scientists subsequently studied the samples to gain insights into the composition of primitive asteroids, including hydrated minerals and organic compounds.

Scientific results from the mission show that Ryugu contains porous, low-density surface material and hosts organic molecules and hydrated minerals, supporting theories about the delivery of water and organics to the early Earth. The mission demonstrated successful collection and return of asteroid material and has contributed to understanding asteroid diversity and the distribution of water and organics in the Solar System, while establishing techniques for future sample-return missions.