Hayabusa 2

Hayabusa 2 [JAXA]

JAXA is now considering a mission named Hayabusa-2 This is a similar mission as Hayabusa that will return samples of surface from an asteroid to the earth. Target asteroid, however, is different. Asteroid Itokawa explored by Hayabusa is rock-rich S-type one. Asteroid that Hayabusa-2 will visit at is a C-type asteroid. C-type asteroids are also rocky, but it is thought that their rocks contain much more organic matters. Hayabusa-2 will challenge very interesting objectives:

• what are original organic matters, that existed in the solar system?;
• and how they are related to life?

The asteroid currently considered as a target of Hayabusa-2 is Asteroid 1999 JU3. Observation of spectrum of sunlight reflected by the asteroid shows that it has features of C-type.

Hayabusa-2 will fly to the target asteroid by using ion engines as with Hayabusa. The spacecraft is almost the same as Hayabusa, but problematic points discovered during the Hayabusa mission will be corrected. The antenna type will be also different. Hayabusa-2 will use a planar antenna in place of the parabolic one of Hayabusa.