However, before anything else, it will need to participate in a scavenger hunt in the Australian outback. This coming weekend, fragments of an asteroid are set to touch down in a desolate area close to Woomera, South Australia. These fragments are being transported to Earth by Hayabusa2, a robotic spacecraft launched by JAXA, Japan’s space agency, in 2014 for the purpose of investigating an asteroid called Ryugu, which is a dark, carbon-rich rock slightly over half a mile in diameter. The success of this mission and the scientific data it yields will enhance Japan’s position as a key player in deep space exploration, on par with NASA, the European Space Agency, and Russia. JAXA currently has a spacecraft circling Venus to study the planet’s extreme climate and is working with the Europeans on a mission en route to Mercury. In the upcoming years, Japan is planning to retrieve rocks from Phobos, a moon of Mars, and support NASA's Artemis program to send astronauts to the moon. However, the immediate challenge they face is locating a small capsule containing asteroid samples in the dark, expansive region 280 miles north of Adelaide. Shogo Tachibana, the lead investigator analyzing the Hayabusa2 samples, described the area near Woomera as extremely remote, with more than 70 Japanese team members assisting in the recovery effort. This region, typically used by the Australian military for testing, offers a vast, open space that is perfect for the return of a spacecraft from another planet. The return capsule detached from the main spacecraft 12 hours prior to landing, when it was approximately 125,000 miles away from Earth. JAXA will provide live coverage of the capsule's landing starting at 11:30 am Eastern time on Saturday (early morning on Sunday in Australia). The capsule is expected to touch down just before noon. Makoto Yoshikawa, the mission manager, mentioned in an interview that there is a margin of error of about 10 kilometers (6 miles) in predicting the exact reentry point of the capsule. Once at an altitude of 6 miles, the capsule will deploy a parachute, and its drift during descent will further contribute to the uncertainty. Yoshikawa stated that the location of the landing will be determined by the wind conditions that day. The search area could potentially span 60 miles, and the recovery team will be guided by the trail of superheated air left by the reentering capsule, as well as the capsule's radio beacon. The mission will become significantly more challenging if the beacon or parachute malfunctions. Time is also of the essence. The team's goal is to retrieve the capsule, conduct an initial analysis, and quickly transport it back to Japan within 100 hours. Despite the capsule being sealed, there is concern that Earth air may gradually seep in. Tachibana mentioned that perfect sealing is not possible. Once the capsule is located, a helicopter will transport it to a laboratory established at the Australian air force base in Woomera. At the laboratory, an instrument will extract any gases that may have been released by the asteroid rocks as they underwent shaking and breaking during reentry. Yoshikawa mentioned that the scientists are interested in detecting any helium particles from solar wind that may have hit the asteroid and gotten trapped in the rocks. The presence of these gases would confirm that Hayabusa2 was able to collect samples from Ryugu. At least 0.1 grams of samples are required for a successful mission, with the team hoping that the spacecraft brought back several grams. In Japan, the Hayabusa2 team will start analyzing the samples from Ryugu. Some of the samples collected by Hayabusa2 at the asteroid Ryugu in June 2018 will be shared with other scientists for further study in about a year. The spacecraft carried out a series of investigations, including dropping probes to the surface, creating a hole in the asteroid to examine its interior, and collecting small pieces from the surface. This operation was more challenging than anticipated due to the presence of numerous boulders. Masaki Fujimoto, deputy director general of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, noted that small asteroids like Ryugu were previously overlooked by planetary scientists focused on studying planets. He expressed his lack of interest in minor bodies, but emphasized their importance in understanding the formation of planetary systems. Analyzing water trapped in minerals from Ryugu could provide insights into the origins of Earth's oceans and the potential for carbon-based molecules to have contributed to the development of life. NASA will receive part of the Ryugu samples, along with rocks and soil from the OSIRIS-Rex mission to another asteroid. The OSIRIS-Rex probe has been investigating the carbon-rich asteroid Bennu and is scheduled to return to Earth next spring, delivering its samples in September 2023. Despite similarities in appearance, Ryugu and Bennu exhibit differences in various aspects. The rocks on Ryugu seem to have less water compared to other rocks. The significance of these similarities and differences will only be understood once scientists conduct a more detailed study of the rocks. Harold Connolly, a geology professor at Rowan University, believes that the lessons learned from the Hayabusa2 mission will be valuable when the OSIRIS-Rex sample returns. Connolly finds the similarities and differences between the missions to be extremely interesting. He plans to travel to Japan next summer to assist in analyzing the Ryugu samples. Hayabusa2 is not Japan's initial planetary mission. The name of the spacecraft, Hayabusa2, is reminiscent of an earlier mission that retrieved samples from an asteroid called Itokawa. However, the previous mission faced significant technical issues, as did JAXA's Akatsuki spacecraft which is currently orbiting Venus. Despite these challenges, Hayabusa2 has operated smoothly, unlike the failed Japanese mission to Mars in 2003, even though it shares a similar design with its predecessor. Yoshikawa, the mission manager, stated that there are no major issues, only minor ones. He mentioned that the team carefully analyzed the failures of Hayabusa and made necessary changes, as well as conducted multiple rehearsals to prepare for any potential problems. Japanese missions typically have smaller budgets compared to NASA's, resulting in fewer instruments being carried. Hayabusa2's cost is under $300 million, while OSIRIS-Rex's cost is around $1 billion. Yoshikawa also noted that delivering the Ryugu samples does not mark the conclusion of the Hayabusa2 mission. After releasing the return capsule, the main spacecraft changed its course to prevent a collision with Earth, narrowly avoiding it by 125 miles. The spacecraft will now head towards another asteroid, a small one named 1998 KY26, which is only 100 feet in diameter and rotates quickly, completing one rotation in less than 11 minutes. Hayabusa2 will utilize two flybys of Earth to propel itself towards KY26, with an expected arrival in 2031. Throughout the extended journey in deep space, the spacecraft will perform various astronomical experiments, and it still possesses a projectile that may be used to test the surface of the asteroid.