Hayabusa-2 Spacecraft Fired Projectile into an Asteroid
Astronomy

Hayabusa-2 Spacecraft Fired Projectile into an Asteroid

The Japanese spacecraft fired a high-speed projectile into the surface of the Ryugu asteroid. The operation of the projectile is similar to that of modern military anti-tank missiles and laser-guided bombs on Earth. By studying the resulting crater, we can learn about the material and structure of the asteroid.

The goal was to observe the impact of the projectile fired by the spacecraft at high speed in a pre-selected area and to study the consequences. The analysis of the ejected material cloud and the resulting impact crater reveals much about the material, mechanical properties, and structural composition of the small celestial body.

Since the ejected debris could pose a danger to the spacecraft, it moved beyond the line of sight of the target area after directing and releasing the small test body. Simultaneously with the release of the test body, the spacecraft also launched a following mini-camera (DCAM3) to track the test body until impact and transmit its journey. The camera ultimately was destroyed as it also impacted the surface of the asteroid, as it had no maneuvering thrusters, but it captured valuable footage of the SCI experiment in the meantime.

Created: 2019-06-12 21:00
Last modified: 2019-06-12 21:00

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