Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft successfully blasted a crater into an asteroid called 162173 Ryugu. “The exact size and shape of the artificial crater will be examined in detail in the future, but we can see that terrain of an area about [60 feet] 20 m[eters] wide has changed. We did not expect such a big alternation so a lively debate has been initiated in the project!,” said the Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAXA). Read more for the video and additional information.
[CRA2] Crater formation where the Small Carry-on Impactor collided with Ryugu has been confirmed! These images compare the surface before and after the SCI collision. pic.twitter.com/BZPYlHhSjs
— HAYABUSA2@JAXA (@haya2e_jaxa) April 25, 2019
“So far, JAXA has released only before-and-after images of where the spacecraft created the crater. The ‘after’ image was captured during a recent excursion that sent Hayabusa2 to hover near the surface of Ryugu. The main spacecraft had ducked behind the asteroid during the impact procedure and for about two weeks after to protect it from flying debris,” reports Space.com.
