Two robots from the Japanese probe “Hayabusa-2” landed on the asteroid Ryugu
TOKYO, 22 Sep — RIA Novosti. Two robot “MINERVA-II 1” I landed on Saturday on the asteroid Ryugu, they were launched from the Japanese space probe “Hayabusa-2”, reported by the Japanese space Agency JAXA.
Upstairs
Robots Rover-Rover 1A and-1B, which constitute “MINERVA-II-1” were the first robots successfully landed on the surface of the asteroid and made it pictures.
“MINERVA-II 1″ — the world’s first robot scouts descended to the surface of the asteroid. In addition, for the first time in the world they are able to move independently on the surface of the asteroid and take pictures,” — said the Agency.
In October, we will first attempt of the probe “Hayabusa-2” to land on the asteroid and take samples of the soil. In June of this year, the Japanese probe “Hayabusa-2” after a three-year journey in space reached the goal — approached the asteroid Ryugu at a distance of 20 kilometers.
The space probe was launched in 2014. For three and a half years he crossed the distance, amounting to a total of 3.2 billion kilometers. Asteroid Ryugu removed from the Earth for 2.8 billion kilometers. Its diameter is about 900 meters.
The probe will stay near the asteroid and a half years, during which time he made three attempts to take soil samples and then bring them down to Earth. The first attempt to land on the asteroid to take a sample the probe will carry out in the fall.
Ryugu orbit passes near the orbits of Earth and Mars, it suggests the scientists hope that in the soil can be detected traces of water and organic substances.
The same task on the asteroid Itokawa has fulfilled its predecessor “Hayabusa” in 2010. Then, too, an attempt was made to pull to the surface robots, but it was not successful.