The Hayabusa2 spacecraft will approach Earth on Dec. 6 and emit a capsule believed to contain samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu onto southern Australian desert areas, the science ministry announced Tuesday.
The capsule is supposed to contain sand and stones from Ryugu. "We hope Hayabusa2 will be able to bring back valuable samples, a key to the mystery of the origin of life," said Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Koichi Hagiuda at a press conference after a Cabinet meeting. Hagiuda also said the unmanned probe will go to another celestial body and conduct a new exploration after the capsule is dropped off.
Launched on Dec. 3, 2014, Hayabusa2 completed its research on Ryugu and left for Earth on Nov. 13, 2019. With the injection of its mainstay ion engine, it is approaching the Earth in an elliptical orbit.
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