Hayabusa- 2 is a mission developed by JAXA or Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to collect sample from asteroid 162173 Ryugu and return to earth. Currently the probe on its way to asteroid. expected to reach there by July 2018, survey the asteroid for one and half years, lift off in December 2019, and return to Earth in December 2020. The estimated project cost is 16.4 billion yen.
The spacecraft has ion engines, upgraded guidance and navigation technology, antennas and attitude control systems.
It will use an explosive device to dig the asteroid surface for fresh sample material.
