On Dec. 3, 2014, Japan launched the Hayabusa2 spacecraft on a mission to fetch a sample from an asteroid.
The asteroid is named 162173 Ryugu, but it's also known as 1999 JU3. Hayabusa2 lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center on a Japanese H-IIA rocket. It arrived at the asteroid three and a half years later. Hayabusa2 brought along four small rovers to drop on the asteroid's surface.
After searching for a good landing site, the Hayabusa2 mothership will descend down to the surface, scoop up some asteroid dirt, and return the sample to Earth by the end of 2020. By studying the asteroid sample up close, scientists hope to learn more about the history of our solar system.
The asteroid is named 162173 Ryugu, but it's also known as 1999 JU3. Hayabusa2 lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center on a Japanese H-IIA rocket. It arrived at the asteroid three and a half years later. Hayabusa2 brought along four small rovers to drop on the asteroid's surface.
After searching for a good landing site, the Hayabusa2 mothership will descend down to the surface, scoop up some asteroid dirt, and return the sample to Earth by the end of 2020. By studying the asteroid sample up close, scientists hope to learn more about the history of our solar system.
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TechTranscript
00:00On this day in space.
00:04On December 3rd, 2014, Japan launched the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft on a mission to fetch
00:08a sample from an asteroid.
00:11The asteroid is named 162173 Ryugu, but it's also known as 1999 JU3.
00:18Hayabusa 2 lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center on a Japanese H-2A rocket.
00:23It arrived at the asteroid three and a half years later.
00:26Hayabusa 2 brought along four small rovers to drop on the asteroid's surface.
00:31After searching for a good landing site, the Hayabusa 2 mothership will descend to the
00:34surface, scoop up some asteroid dirt, and return the sample to Earth by the end of 2020.
00:40By studying the asteroid sample up close, scientists hope to learn more about the history
00:43of our solar system.
00:44And that's what happened on this day in space.