Japan's Hayabusa2 Shoots Copper Bomb at Asteroid Ryugu to Create Artificial Crater

Japan's Hayabusa2 probe deployed a heavy copper plate toward the asteroid Ryugu last night (April 4), in an effort to create an artificial crater.

Indeed, Hayabusa2 has been extremely busy during its time at Ryugu. In addition to the sample-collection and SCI activities, the probe has studied the asteroid in detail and released two hopping minirovers and a 22-lb. (10 kg) lander onto the space rock's surface.

And Hayabusa2 still has one more tool to deploy: MINERVA-II 2, a third, tiny, hopping rover, similar to those the probe deployed in September. The mission team currently hopes to send MINERVA-II 2 out onto Ryugu's surface late this summer.