Japanese probe lands on asteroid in search for life's beginning

Hayabusa2 touches down 300 million km from Earth and digs for samples

An artist's rendering depicts Hayabusa2 digging into the surface of the asteroid Ryugu on Feb. 22. (Courtesy of JAXA)

Nikkei staff writers

February 21, 2019 18:22 JST

Updated on February 22, 2019 12:13 JST

TOKYO -- The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said Friday that its Hayabusa2 probe had successfully touched down on the Ryugu asteroid, a delicate operation about 300 million kilometers from Earth.

Hayabusa2 aimed for a patch with a 3-meter radius near the equator on the rocky surface of the asteroid, which has a diameter of 900 meters. Navigating to the landing spot was tricky, in part because Hayabusa2's solar panels stretch to 6 meters wide.