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Hayabusa 2

Mission Reports

Scientists thrilled with asteroid treasure returned by Japanese spacecraft

December 15, 2020 Stephen Clark

Japanese space agency officials said Tuesday they found a “large number” of pitch black rock and dust particles after opening a capsule returned to Earth earlier this month by the Hayabusa 2 mission, giving eager scientists their first significant specimens ever brought back from an asteroid.

Mission Reports

Japanese capsule carrying asteroid rocks lands in Australia after six-year mission

December 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

An armored re-entry capsule carrying pristine specimens from an asteroid streaked into Earth’s atmosphere and parachuted to a landing in the Australian outback Saturday, bringing home extraterrestrial rocks that could hold clues to the origin of life on Earth.

Mission Reports

Live coverage: Hayabusa 2 asteroid sample return capsule lands in Australia

December 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

Japan’s Hayabusa 2 mission returned to Earth Saturday after a six-year mission to collect samples from asteroid Ryugu. The mission’s sample return capsule landed in in the Australian outback around shortly before 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT) Saturday.

Mission Reports

Japanese asteroid sampling mission on course for return to Earth

December 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

Six years after departing Earth, Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft released a spinning capsule Saturday containing pristine asteroid material for a scorching re-entry and landing in the remote Australian outback, where teams are standing by to retrieve the specimens for analysis.

Mission Reports

Asteroid samples aboard Japanese probe on track for return to Earth in December

July 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

A capsule carrying extraterrestrial specimens collected by Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft is scheduled for landing in South Australia on Dec. 6 to wrap up a six-year round-trip mission to an asteroid, officials announced this week.

Mission Reports

Japanese sample return craft departs asteroid, heads for Earth

November 13, 2019 Stephen Clark

Closing out a year-and-a-half of exploration, surveys and sampling operations at asteroid Ryugu, Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft fired thrusters in a departure maneuver Wednesday and headed for Earth with specimens snatched from the asteroid’s dark and rocky surface.

Mission Reports

Hayabusa 2 completes practice run for deployment of last asteroid lander

September 17, 2019 Stephen Clark

Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft deployed two target markers Monday above asteroid Ryugu in a rehearsal for the release of the mission’s final landing robot next month.

Mission Reports

Japanese spacecraft snags second sample from asteroid

July 11, 2019 Stephen Clark

Scientists celebrated another success with Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft late Wednesday (U.S. time), when the robot explorer accomplished a second pinpoint touch-and-go landing on asteroid Ryugu, this time to collect a sample of pristine dust and rock excavated by an explosive impactor earlier this year.

Mission Reports

Hayabusa 2 cleared for second touchdown on asteroid

July 3, 2019 Stephen Clark

Ground teams have approved plans for Japan’s Hayabusa 2 sample return mission to briefly land on asteroid Ryugu for the second time July 11, aiming for a targeted touch-and-go to gather material exposed by an explosive impactor released by the robot explorer in April.

Mission Reports

Japanese probe readies for another possible touch-and-go on asteroid

June 6, 2019 Stephen Clark

Approaching the one-year anniversary since its arrival at asteroid Ryugu, Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft has deployed a target marker near an artificial crater created by an explosive charge in April, a guide post that could help the probe steer toward another pinpoint touchdown to collect a second batch of samples for return to Earth.

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News Headlines

  • Cargo ship docks with International Space Station
    August 25, 2025
  • SpaceX scrubs crucial 10th test flight of Starship
    August 24, 2025
  • NASA, SpaceX launch Dragon to the ISS on extended cargo, station boosting mission
    August 24, 2025
  • Launch preview: NASA, SpaceX to launch Cargo Dragon on a mission to boost space station orbit
    August 23, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB
    August 22, 2025
  • SpaceX launches Space Force’s X-37B spaceplane to demo laser communications, quantum navigation
    August 22, 2025
  • Launch preview: SpaceX to launch X-37B military spaceplane on Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center
    August 20, 2025
  • Firefly Aerospace explores launching its Alpha rocket from Japan
    August 20, 2025
  • SpaceX flies 24 Starlink satellites on its 100th Falcon 9 rocket launch of 2025
    August 17, 2025
  • SpaceX schedules 10th test flight for Starship, details recent setbacks
    August 16, 2025
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