Japan Set To Fire Projectile At Ryugu Asteroid To Kick Up Samples For Collection

Japan's space agency, JAXA, has been conducting a mission to the asteroid called Ryugu since the Hayabusa 2 probe launched in 2014. The mission will soon lower the Hayabusa 2 probe to the surface of the asteroid in an attempt to collect samples. Before that probe heads towards the surface of the asteroid, the mission planners will rehearse the mission aiming to fire metal bullets into the surface of Ryugu.

The metal bullet, pictured above in its metal barrel, will smash into the surface of Ryugu and kick up dust and samples for the probe to collect. JAXA has already made some surprising discoveries on the surface of the asteroid. It released its hopping rovers in September to explore the asteroid, and they used sensors to find a good landing spot for the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft.

The projectile will be fired by the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft after it lands on the surface to stir up materia that can be collected by its sampling arm. Researchers had to conduct further investigation to see if firing the projectile was safe after it was discovered that the surface of the asteroid has chunky gravel rather than the powdery surface expected.

Mission planners used the same barrel and projectile here on Earth in conjunction with the University of Tokyo to conduct an experiment that reproduced as carefully as possible the act of firing the projectile on the asteroid's surface. The results of the experiment have shown that the robot arm might be able to collect more materia than previously expected.

After the experiments proved safe, the mission will proceed with Hayabusa 2 set to touchdown on Friday. The materia that the probe is gathering will be returned to Earth in late 2020.