On February 22, 2019 at 22:29 UTC, the Japanese “Hayabusa-2” probe contacted the surface of Ryugu asteroid. The spacecraft briefly landed on the asteroid more than 350 million kilometers from Earth to take a rocky sample. The probe spent on Ryugu surface for just a few moments before firing thrusters to climb away from the asteroid. It was a touch-and-go landing. The “Hayabusa-2” is to return back to Earth in December 2020. Attachments: |