Japan’s Asteroid
Mission Hayabusa2 has become the first to land moving rovers on the surface of an asteroid.
On 22 September
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) tweeted confirmation that the mission’s twin rovers.
Called MINERVA-II 1A and 1B
Had landed safely on the space rock Ryugu, and that both were moving on the surface.
The Hayabusa2 Mothership Deployed
The small probes late last week as it dropped to just 55 metres above the surface, later pulling up to a higher orbit.
Mission Controllers Lost
Communication with the MINERVA rovers in the hours after deployment - the landers were on the far side of the asteroid
But the Hexagonal Rovers Have
Now sent back their first, slightly blurry, colour images of the surface and made their initial ‘hop’
The Probes Use
Rotating motors to make jumps, each lasting some 15 minutes owing to the body’s low gravity.