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From Japan Hayabusa2 arises on an asteroid called Ryugu to take a sample – and you can watch the action live.
The maneuvers will be broadcast live by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which manages the spacecraft, as of today (February 21) at 4:45 pm EST (9:45 pm EST). GMT). You can watch live on Space.com courtesy of JAXA, or through the YouTube from the agency.
JAXA started descent operations at Ryugu on February 21 at approximately 6:30 am, local time, at JAXA headquarters (February 20th at approximately 4:30 pm EST, at 9:30 pm GMT), with the decision to approach the asteroid about 6 pm hours later.
Before the start of the descent, Hayabusa2 had hovered in his "starting position", about 20 km above the surface of the asteroid. The spacecraft came closer and closer in the following hours, sending images of his navigation camera back about twice an hour. It takes about 19 minutes for these images to reach the Earth because of the distance that separates Ryugu. During touch, the spacecraft will not be properly tilted to continue sending pictures to the house.
@ haya2e_jaxa features real-time images from the current approach of #Ryugu asteroids. Check it out here: https://t.co/pUTbBceeK3 I've done something: pic.twitter.com/0Ohg78zSFZFebruary 21, 2019
During the first hours of the descent, the spaceship s' is lowered at a speed of about 90 centimeters / second, about twice as fast as originally planned by the JAXA to compensate for the start of descent about 5 hours later than expected. On February 21, at approximately 9:15 am EST (14:15 GMT), Hayabusa was only 3 km from the surface.
Hayabusa2 should land around 18:06. EST (2306 GMT). On the surface, it will be shoot what is essentially a ball in the gravelly surface of Ryugu and suck the resulting debris back to Earth.
Once sampling is complete, it will take about 11 hours for the spacecraft to return to its "original position". The spacecraft still has work to do at Ryugu, including the release another little rover on the surface of the asteroid, before returning home at the end of this year.
Email Meghan Bartels to [email protected] or follow her @meghanbartels. follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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