JAXA's Hayabusa2 spacecraft is set to return asteroid samples from Ryugu to Earth in December, then embark on an extended mission to a new target.
In a landmark achievement for planetary science, Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched Hayabusa2 years ago to collect samples from asteroids and return them for analysis. In 2019, the probe successfully touched down twice on Ryugu, a 900-meter-diameter asteroid orbiting over 350 million kilometers from Earth.
Last November, Hayabusa2 began its return journey. The capsule carrying Ryugu samples is scheduled to land at the Woomera Range Complex on December 6, a facility operated by the Royal Australian Air Force in South Australia.
Scientists worldwide anticipate breakthroughs from these pristine samples—virtually unchanged for 4.5 billion years. They promise to illuminate the Solar System's formation and the potential role of carbon-rich asteroids in life's origins on Earth.
Originally planned to conclude after sample delivery, the mission has been extended by JAXA. Post-dropoff, Hayabusa2 will rendezvous with asteroid 1998 KY26, a fast-spinning rock roughly 30 meters across between Mars and Earth orbits, expected arrival in 2031.
Studying such near-Earth objects equips us to mitigate collision risks, as JAXA highlights the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor—half the size of 1998 KY26—that exploded over Russia.
The extension includes a high-speed flyby of asteroid 2001 CC21. En route, Hayabusa2's instruments may detect stellar brightness dips, hinting at transiting exoplanets.
Meanwhile, NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission targets Bennu samples on October 20, with return slated for September 24, 2023, landing in Utah's desert.
