Japanese spacecraft throws ball into asteroid to study soil

A Japanese spacecraft will land on an asteroid in space on Thursday, where it will launch a ball into its rock, capable of collecting rock block samples, to study.

The Japan Space Research Agency (JAXAK) launched the Hayabusa 2 probe flight to Rigo Planet in 2014, reaching 2018, three kilometers away.

The vehicle placed on the asteroid two small containers the size of a refrigerator, their task being to study the soil, gravity and temperature. If things go well, the plane will land on Thursday, around 18 hours.

It was supposed to land on the planet last October, but the Japanese space agency postponed the task until after discovering that the surface of the planet was not covered with dusty soil and was covered rocks, which scientists did not expect.

According to scientists working on the project, the vehicle was unable to find the expected topography on the surface of the planet and took the time to ensure the safety of the vehicle during the trip. He added: "If the vehicle lands successfully, the next challenge will be launching the projectile on the surface of the planet, materials on its surface.

The Agency had already tested the mission steps in the field, drawing a stone in a chamber designed to simulate space vacuum, and had discovered that the resulting rocky debris would be small enough to be collected and transported to Earth for study and analysis. If the plan succeeds at the end of 2020.