Japanese space rovers launched on the asteroid

TOKYO – A Japanese spacecraft launched two small vehicles on an asteroid Friday in a mission that could provide clues to the origin of the solar system.

The Japanese Space Agency said the two Minerva-II-1 vehicles had been lowered from the unmanned Hayabusa2 spacecraft to the Ryugu asteroid. The spacecraft arrived near the asteroid, about 170 million kilometers from the Earth, in June.

JAXA said that the confirmation of the safe landing of the robots must wait until they receive them on Saturday.

Hayabusa2 approached the asteroid as close as 180 feet to lower the rovers, waited a minute and then returned to his waiting position at about 12 miles above the surface. JAXA said the exit went smoothly.

The voltage of the solar-powered rovers fell as night fell on Ryugu, a sign they were on the asteroid, said Takashi Kubota, spokesman for the Hayabusa project team.

"We are very optimistic," said project director Yuichi Tsuda. "I can not wait to see the pictures. I want to see the decor of the space seen from Ryugu's surface.

The two tiny rovers, each the size of a cookie jar, must capture images of the asteroid and measure surface temperatures before a larger mobile and a lander are released later. Rovers move by "jumping" up to 50 feet at a time, as the extremely low gravity of the asteroid makes rolling difficult. They can continue to jump as long as their solar panels and energy last, JAXA said.

Friday's release boosted the confidence of project members before the most difficult maneuvers ahead, Tsuda said.

Hayabusa2 must attempt three brief landings on the asteroid to collect samples in the hope of providing clues about the origin of the solar system and life on Earth. Since arriving in Ryugu, scientists have been looking for suitable landing sites on the uneven surface, and their first attempt is expected in October.

The spacecraft will release a Franco-German lander called MASCOT carrying four observation devices in early October and a larger rover called Minerva-II-2 next year.

Hayabusa2, launched in December 2014, is expected to return to Earth by the end of 2020.

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