Japanese space probe Hayabusa2 lands second robot explorer on asteroid
The Hayabusa2 is scheduled later this month to deploy an ‘impactor’ that will explode above the asteroid, shooting a 2kg copper object into it to blast a small crater on the surface
A Japanese probe landed a new observation robot on an asteroid on Wednesday as it pursues a mission to shed light on the origins of the solar system.
The French-German Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout, or MASCOT, launched from the Hayabusa2 probe, landed safely on Ryugu and was in contact with its team, the lander’s official Twitter account said.
“And then I found myself in a place like no place on Earth. A land full of wonder, mystery and danger!,” the @MASCOT2018 account tweeted. “I landed on asteroid Ryugu!”
MASCOT is expected to collect a wide range of data on the asteroid, some 300 million kilometres from Earth.
“It is hugely significant to take data from the surface of an asteroid, we have high expectations for the scientific data,” Hayabusa2 mission manager Makoto Yoshikawa at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) told a briefing before the landing.
The 10kg box-shaped MASCOT is loaded with sensors. It can take images at multiple wavelengths, investigate minerals with a microscope, gauge surface temperatures and measure magnetic fields.