Hayabusa2,launched 6 years ago, on December 3rd 2014, to study Ryugu,(a C-type asteroid,composed of rock that contains mainly carbon and water in the outer main asteroid belt)reached Ryugu in July 2018 and now is officially on it’s way back,bringing back samples of the asteroid that is 180 millions miles away, to be studied in the Japanese labs.
The satellite consits of optical cameras,infrared cameras and LIDAR(Light detection and ranging), and has deployed 3 small rovers that used many instruments to study the asteroid in close.
The first Hayabusa mission was able to bring back about only a millionth of a gram, but the Hayabusa 2 has more chances of bringing back much more.
I am Proud of this Success, even though I don’t Know yet that the re-entry of the sample capsule will be successful.
-Eri Tatsumi
Finding out about the components of Ryugu will help scientists to add another page to their knowledge about the materials in the early solar system and the kind of elements and compounds that might have been delivered to the Earth through asteroid or meteroite showers and impacts.
Asteroids are like time capsules of ancient space histroy, providing more infomation about the space since their components have been preserved over a very long period of time- and will allow everyone to know where they belong in this universe of many galaxies and stars.