Hayabusa 2 capsule returns to Earth 2020

The surface of Ryugu

Hayabusa 2, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) probe launched in 2014, returned to Earth with samples from near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu December 5, 2020.  After its sampling mission was completed in November 2019, Hayabusa 2 fired its ion engines and returned to Earth.

It released the sample capsule on December 5, 2020 and the capsule landed at the Woomera Test Range in Australia.  JAXA has shared a portion of the samples with NASA and NASA will share samples from asteroid Bennu, when OSIRIS-REx returns in 2023.

MASCOT Rover deployed from Hayabusa 2 onto Ryugu 2018

The massively successful Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Hayabusa 2 deployed one of its four rovers, Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout (MASCOT) onto the surface of asteroid Ryugu, October 3, 2018.  The German Aerospace Center (DLR) developed MASCOT in cooperation with National Centre for Space Studies in France.  It weights only about 21 lbs and is about 11.6"x10.8"x7.7".  It ran for about 16 hours on a non-rechargeable battery and completed its mission successfully.  

Three papers have been published discussing the results from MASCOT in Nature Astronomy, Science, and Journal of Geophysical Research.

Hayabusa 2, spacecraft to asteroid Ryugu, launched 2014

Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency launched the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft to the near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu December 3, 2014.  It rendezvoused with the asteroid in June 2018 and ejected two rovers to the surface in September 2018. It departed Ryugu in November 2019 and expected to return to Earth with samples in late 2020.

JAXA's MINERVA II 1 has released its rovers to Ryugu

Asteroid Ryugu from MINERVA II 1

Just a few hours ago, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed that the MINERVA II 1( Micro-Nano Experimental Robot Vehicle for the Asteroid) has released its two rovers, ROVER-1A and ROVER-1B to explore the Near-Earth Object/Asteroid Ryugu. 

Contact has been lost with MINERVA but JAXA figures it is due  to the rotation of the asteroid.  Hopefully, they will re-establish contact soon.

Hayabusa 2, Japanese space probe, arrived at asteroid Ryugu

Hayabusa 2, a Japanese space probe launched in December 2014, has arrived at the near-Earth object/asteroid Ryugu.  The probe will follow the asteroid for a few months, studying it to find possible landing sites for four small probes to touch down to explore the surface.

One of the probes, Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout, or MASCOT, was developed by the German Aerospace Center and Centre National d'études Spatiales (CNES). 

Hayabusa 2 will study the asteroid until December 2019, after which it will return to Earth with samples from the asteroid in December 2020.