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Scientists already receive data from other machines deployed on the surface of the Ryugu asteroid
A Japanese investigation sent to examine an asteroid to shed light on the origins of the solar system will now land on the rock several months later than expected, officials said Thursday.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) told reporters that the Hayabusa probe2 should land on the Ryugu asteroid towards "end of January" at the earliest, instead of the end of the month, as originally planned.
JAXA project director Yuichi Tsuda said they needed more time to prepare for the landing, as the latest data show that the surface of the asteroid is more rugged than expected.
"The mission … is to land without hitting the rocks," said Tsuda, adding that the operation was "very difficult".
"We expected the surface to be smooth … but it seems that there is no flat surface."
Scientists are already receiving data from other machines deployed on the surface of the asteroid.
Last week, the JAXA managed to land a new 10-kilogram (22-pound) observation robot known as MASCOT – "Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout".
Loaded with sensors, the robot can take images at several wavelengths, search for minerals with a microscope, measure surface temperatures and measure magnetic fields.
Ten days earlier, a pair of MINERVA-II micro-rovers had been dropped on the asteroid, marking the first time that mobile robotic observation devices were deployed successfully.
The surface of the asteroid is rougher than we originally thought
These rovers take advantage of Ryugu's low gravity to jump to the surface, moving up to 15 meters and staying above the surface for 15 minutes, to examine the physical characteristics of the asteroid at the surface. Using cameras and sensors.
Hayabusa2, the size of a large refrigerator and equipped with solar panels, is the successor to JAXA's first asteroid explorer, Hayabusa, in Japanese for Falcon.
This probe came back from a small potato-shaped asteroid with dust samples in 2010, despite several setbacks, during an epic seven-year odyssey hailed as a scientific triumph.
The Hayabusa2 mission, which costs about 30 billion yen ($ 260 million), was launched in December 2014 and will return to Earth with its samples in 2020.
The photos of Ryugu – which means "dragon palace" in Japanese, a castle located at the bottom of the ocean in an ancient Japanese tale – show an asteroid shaped router on the rough surface.
By collecting samples on the surface, scientists hope to answer some fundamental questions about life and the universe, especially if elements of space have helped to bring life to life on Earth.
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Landing! Japanese spacecraft drops a new robot on an asteroid
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