(CNN) Japan's space agency has attempted to detonate an explosive charge on an asteroid some 195 million miles from Earth, in hopes of creating a crater and collecting samples to shed light on the origin of the solar system. The Hayabusa-2 probe deployed a Small Carry-on Impactor (SCI) -- a device packed with plastic explosive -- intended to blast an artificial crater in the asteroid, Ryugu. After deploying the SCI from the asteroid's orbit, Hayabusa-2 moved to a safe distance from the blast site, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said Friday. If the mission proves successful, the probe will return to the crater to collect rock samples from deep within the asteroid, which have been protected from the harsh environment of space. As the probe maneuvered to its evacuation position it deployed a small camera, called DCAM3, which scientists hope was able to capture the moment of detonation on the asteroid's surface from a distance of about 1 km (0.6 miles).

Source: CNN April 05, 2019 06:56 UTC