A probe bounces on asteroid Ryugu

[Gaia]

The Japanese Space Agency has released striking images of its Hayabusa2 probe leaping onto the surface of the asteroid Ryugu, an object about one kilometer in diameter. The Japanese probe Hayabusa2 touched the ground of the asteroid called Ryugu, a celestial object about one kilometer in diameter. The Japanese Space Agency has released impressive images of the craft hitting the surface of this Ryugu for the purpose of collecting samples. The probe is equipped with two cameras: one main and one financed by public funds whose shooting is directed towards the sampler.

The images show a view of Ryugu's surface, while others present the sampling process. The tricky maneuver was made by placing a marker on the surface of the asteroid. A ballistic projectile is sent to lift the ground to take samples.

Scientists are mainly interested in materials found under the surface of the asteroid. The reason is simple: you have to collect samples that are protected from cosmic rays. The Hayabusa2 spacecraft will leave Ryugu near the end of the year to turn back to Earth with its cargo. His journey will last one year.

The video was created by stitching together images captured by the spacecraft’s CAM-H instruments over the 7 minutes and 50 seconds it took for it to go down and fly back up. It starts with images at about 8.5 meters (28 feet) from the surface and ends when Hayabusa2 is about 150 meters (492 feet) from the asteroid. The images were taken at intervals between 0.5 and 5 seconds.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=gl3eH0W1iPc

You can feel the excitement in the room 😆

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=hnJX9obXzPU