Hayabusa2

Mission Profile

Hayabusa2 is JAXA's second asteroid sample return mission, launched on 3 December 2014 aboard an H-IIA 202 to rendezvous with the carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu. The spacecraft spent 18 months studying Ryugu, deploying four small surface rovers (MINERVA-II and MASCOT) before touching down twice to collect surface samples, also firing an impactor to excavate fresh subsurface material for sample collection. The sample container was returned to Earth on 5 December 2020, delivering approximately 5.4 grams of Ryugu material including pristine subsurface matter shielded from space weathering. Analysis of the samples revealed amino acids, organic molecules, and hydrous silicates confirming that carbonaceous asteroids can deliver the building blocks of life to rocky planets, with profound implications for understanding the origin of life on Earth.