Hayabusa2 Target Marker land on Ryugu
October 25, 2018 (JST)
National Research and Development Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) started the third touchdown rehearsal since October 23, 2018. During the rehearsal, Hayabusa2 dropped a target marker onto Ryugu. Images captured by Hayabusa2 confirm that the target marker landed on the asteroid. The state of the Hayabusa2 spacecraft is nominal.
In 2013, JAXA conducted a publicity and outreach campaign to collect names and messages for the mission. Each marker and return capsule carry submitted names. JAXA is pleased to announce that those have been successfully delivered to Ryugu.
Image: Target marker on Ryugu, appearing as a white dot in the center of the green circle,
as captured by the Hayabusa2 wide-angle optical navigation camera (ONC-W1)
Image photographed at 11:47 a.m., (Japan Standard Time) October 25
Photographed from approximately 20 meters above Ryugu
Image credit: JAXA
■Hayabusa2 operational information is available on the JAXA special website featuring Hayabusa2 and Hayabusa2 project website.
The JAXA special website featuring Hayabusa2
https://fanfun.jaxa.jp/coutdown/hayabusa2
Hayabusa2 project website
http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp