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This amazing photo was captured by Rover 1A as it bounced or jumped on the surface of the Ryugu asteroid on September 22, 2018. The bright white region is due to sunlight, while the blue zone is a distortion caused by sunlight. Image via JAXA / Hayabusa2.
JAXA, the Japanese space agency, said Saturday, September 22, 2018 that two rovers released by its satellite Hayabusa2 had managed to immobilize the asteroid Ryugu, hundreds of millions of kilometers from the Earth. The spacecraft traveled for four years before meeting Ryugu. The JAXA has now released images taken by the rovers as they were ejected from the mother space probe, as well as other captured images when one of the probes bounced or hopped to the surface of the asteroid. JAXA said:
Both rovers are confirmed to have landed on Ryugu's surface. They are in good condition and have transmitted photos and data. We have also confirmed that they are moving to the surface.
Rover-1B acquired this image on September 21, shortly after the separation of the spacecraft. The photo shows the surface of the asteroid Ryugus view of about 55 meters (180 feet). The foggy upper left is due to the reflection of sunlight. Image via JAXA / Hayabusa2.
Ryugu is a space rock with a diameter of less than one kilometer (about 1 km) and classified as a potentially dangerous asteroid, with an orbit that occasionally brings it into the vicinity of the Earth. The meeting and release of small vehicles took place early on September 21 at a distance of 313 million kilometers from the Earth.
The distance is so great that the images sent by the spacecraft Hayabusa2 and its rovers take about 35 minutes to reach our planet.
This spectacular photo shows the Ryugu asteroid as well as the shadow of the visible space ship at the surface, while Hayabusa 2 descended on September 21, 2018 to release the pair of rovers. The image was taken about 443 feet (135 meters) from the space rock. Image via JAXA / Hayabusa2.
Hayabusa2 arrived at the Ryugu asteroid on June 27, 2018. Then, for several weeks, the spacecraft remained at a distance of about 20 kilometers above the asteroid. During the week of July 16, operations began to lower this hovering altitude, eventually bringing the spacecraft within 6 km (6 km) of the asteroid surface.
According to JAXA, the rovers were released at an altitude of about 180 feet (55 m).
Small rovers (MINERVA-II) via JAXA.
MINERVA-II vehicles are more like cylinders or robotic wheels and use capacitors and small solar cells for power.
Although the mission measures Ryugu's severity, it is estimated to be about 60,000 times lower than Earth's gravity. This means that instead of going through the surface of Ryugu, the rovers will jump and turn on the surface, which is a sensible design to explore the huge asteroid despite its low gravity.
Although this image is blurred because the rover was spinning, Hayabusa2 is seen above the Ryugu asteroid on this 1A rover photo shortly after its separation from its mothership (Hayabusa2) on September 21, 2018. Image via JAXA / Hayabusa2.
Each mobile is about 18 cm in diameter and has a pair of cameras and a thermometer among its instruments.
In October 2018, the spacecraft Hayabusa2 will launch Mascot, a lander built by French and German space agencies. The mascot will also land on the surface of Ryugu.
The Hayabusa2 spacecraft was launched in 2014 and arrived at the huge asteroid after traveling some 2 billion kilometers (3,200 million kilometers). The spacecraft will study Ryugu until December 2020, when it should begin returning to Earth with samples taken from the surface of the asteroid for analysis by scientists in laboratories.
Conclusion: The Japanese space agency JAXA announced Saturday (September 22nd) that two rovers released Friday from the spacecraft Hayabusa2 had successfully landed the asteroid Ryugu. See the pictures here.
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