TOKYO: Japan’s Hayabusa-2 probe will leave its orbit around a distant asteroid and head for Earth on Wednesday after an unprecedented mission, carrying samples that could shed light on the origins of the Solar System. The long voyage home would begin at 10:05 a.m. (11:05 a.m. in Manila), with the probe expected to drop off its precious samples sometime late 2020, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said. “We expect Hayabusa-2 will provide new scientific knowledge to us,” project manager Yuichi Tsuda told reporters. In April, Hayabusa-2 fired an “impactor” into the asteroid to stir up materials that had not previously been exposed to the atmosphere. “Ryugu has been at the heart of our everyday life for the past year and a half,” he added.

Source: Manila Times November 12, 2019 23:59 UTC