Hayabusa2’s Amazing Close Encounter With Asteroid Ryugu

D-brief
By Chelsea Gohd
Oct 15, 2018 4:52 PMMay 17, 2019 9:26 PM
Hayabusa2's view of Ryugu as the craft descended towards the asteroid October 15, 2018 in the first of two touchdown rehearsals. (Credit: JAXA)
Hayabusa2's view of Ryugu as the craft descended towards the asteroid October 15, 2018 in the first of two touchdown rehearsals. (Credit: JAXA)

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This past summer, Hayabusa2 — a spacecraft, operated by the Japanese Space Agency JAXA, sent to collect and return asteroid samples — arrived at asteroid Ryugu. Today, the craft comes close to the asteroid in the first of two touchdown rehearsals.

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