Japanese spacecraft drops third rover on Ryugu asteroid | Science

After successfully dropping two small rovers on the surface of the Ryugu asteroid last month, the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 has deployed today another probe with a suite of aircraft instruments. great scientific value. Hayabusa2, who arrived in Ryugu in June after a trip of three and a half years, descended to 51 meters above the asteroid and released the mobile asteroid surface scout (MASCOT ). Twenty minutes later, the gravity of the asteroid had fired the 10-kilogram probe, measuring 30 by 30 by 20 centimeters, on the surface.

The Minerva Hop Rovers deployed on September 21st have cameras that capture amazing images, but with minimal scientific instrumentation. MASCOT, jointly developed by the German Aerospace Center and French National Center for Space Studies, carries a camera, instruments to measure the thermal changes on a daily basis and check the magnetism, and an infrared spectral microscope to study the mineral composition and search for any trace of the presence, in the asteroid, of molecules of 39, water or organic. MASCOT will collect the data in one place then switch to another for another series of observations. Approximately 16 hours after deployment, the MASCOT batteries will be exhausted and the mission observation phase will be completed.

A photo taken by MASCOT near Ryugu had been posted on Twitter earlier.

Hello #Earth, Hello @ haya2kun! I promised to send pictures of #Ryugu so here's a shot I took during my run. Can you spot my shadow? #AsteroidLanding pic.twitter.com/dmcilFl5ms

– MASCOT Lander (@ MASCOT2018) October 3, 2018

Hayabusa2 himself is likely to make the first of three touchdowns on the asteroid to collect samples later this month. He will begin his journey back to Earth at the end of 2019.