Japanese spacecraft dropped the last robot on the asteroid

Hayabusa 2 dropped MINERVA-II2, a robot whose main task was to study the gravity of the asteroid Ryugu, before returning to Earth.

Photo of robot MINERVA-II2 when detached from Hayabusa 2. (Photo: Space).

Robot MINERVA-II2 separated from Hayabusa 2 at an altitude of about one kilometer on October 3, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). This height is much larger than the previous two robots, MINERVA-II1A and MINERVA-II1B. Late last year, the two robots were dropped at an altitude of 50 m.

This difference is necessary because MINERVA-II2 has a different task than its two "brothers" . This robot will fly around Ryugu 8 times in 5 days before landing on the asteroid surface. During this time, Hayabusa 2 will fly at an altitude of about 8 -10km to monitor and take pictures. MINERVA-II2's journey will help scientists more accurately study Ryugu's gravitational field.

MINERVA-II2 detaches from spacecraft and moves at an estimated speed of 13-17cm / s. Before dropping the robot, Hayabusa 2 dropped two small spheres on the asteroid to practice on September 16. Robot MINERVA-II2 is expected to operate until October 8.

The Hayabusa 2 spacecraft will leave Ryugu and begin returning to Earth later this year, bringing with it a box of precious specimens for scientists to analyze. The ship is expected to land in South Australia by the end of 2020.

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2. Japan is about to drop the last robot on the asteroid