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TOKYO (AP) – New photos taken on the surface of an asteroid show that it is (drum roll, please) … rocky.
This may not be a surprise, but the scientists and engineers of the Japanese space agency are nevertheless delighted that the images sent to Earth by two flying robots jump on an asteroid about 280 million kilometers.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency posted the latest photos on its website Thursday night. They show slightly inclined close-ups of the rocky surface at different locations.
"I can not find words to express how pleased I am to have been able to perform a mobile exploration on the surface of an asteroid," said project director, Yuichi Tsuda, on the website. of the space agency.
It took more than three years for the Hayabusa2 spacecraft to reach the asteroid Ryugu. A week ago, the machine managed to drop a small capsule with two rovers on its surface. The rovers, each the size of a circular cookie box, do not have wheels but pop up around the asteroid.
Hayabusa2 is expected to drop a Franco-German lander with four observation devices on the asteroid next week. He will later attempt to land on the asteroid itself to collect samples to refer back to Earth researchers.
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