On 21 September 2018, The Japanese Spacecraft Hayabusa2 deposited two rovers onto an

asteroid that is 200 million miles from Earth. The two space probes are collectively named
MINERVA-II1 and are very small in size. MINERVA stands for “Micro Nano Experiemental
Robot Vehicle for Asteroid” and is the second generation of its project. The first MINERVA
rover that was deployed in 2005, had actually missed the asteroid, Itokawa’s surface.
MINERVA-II1 was dropped from the Hayabusa2 spacecraft onto the asteroid Ryugu from 60
metres above. The probes landed successfully and have begun exploring Ryugu after a
number of robots were also showered onto the asteroid. The two robots Rover-1A and 1B
were ejected from a drum called MINERVAII1 at around 12:35AM ET [1].

The probes are cylindrical in shape, 18cm wide by 7cm tall and have multiple cameras and
temperature sensors to map Ryugu [2]. A key difference these Rovers have with NASA’s
Mars rovers, are that they do not have wheels, but rather have rotating motors that help
them to shift their momentum across the asteroid surface. Rover-1A and 1B have also
demonstrated that bots have the capability to explore low-gravity environments without
floating away from the surface. It was designed to move around on the asteroid by hopping
in a horizontal direction and could travel around regardless of where MINERVA descends
from. It can remain in the air for 15 minutes after a single hop and travel 15m horizontally
before landing [3]. Hayabusa2 is Japan’s 2nd Asteroid Sample Mission and will shoot the
surface of Ryugu with a gun-like device to loosen some debris off its surface so that the
probes can collect it [4]. Subsequently, another collection method entails Hayabusa2 setting
off a small explosive projectile to create a crater on the surface. Hayabusa2 will then scoop
up debris from the uncontaminated parts of Ryugu.

This mission is operated by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and was designated
the task of collecting samples from Ryugu before returning back to Earth. Scientists were
intrigued to discover more about this asteroid and its components. It is believed that
asteroids like Ryugu are remnants of the early Solar System from 4.5 billion years ago [5].
The asteroid could potentially provide a glimpse back into the early formation of planets
within the cosmos. Ryugu has a diameter of approximately 1km and is classified as a
“potentially hazardous asteroid” due to its orbit trajectory bringing it close to Earth [6].
Later in October, another lander made by the German Aerospace Center, called MASCOT
will be deployed onto Ryugu to join Rover-1A and 1B. Hayabusa2 is a successor to the initial
Hayabusa that collected samples off Itokawa in 2010 [7]. It has an improved ion engine,
sampler mechanism, re-entry capsule and flat antennas[8].

[1]https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/21/17884504/japan-spacecraft-jaxa-hayabusa-2-
minerva-ii1-asteroid-sample-return
[2]Ibid
[3] http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/minerva-ii1-successful-landing.html
[4]Ibid
[5]https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/21/17884504/japan-spacecraft-jaxa-hayabusa-2-
minerva-ii1-asteroid-sample-return

[6]http://earthsky.org/space/jaxa-confirms-2-rovers-landed-asteroid-ryugu
[7] https://www.space.com/41898-hayabusa2-deploys-hopping-robots-asteroid-ryugu.html
[8]https://www.space.com/40161-hayabusa2.html
What is the Juno Mission, including its objectives? How are its objectives different from previous
missions to Jupiter? What are the potential implications of this finding, and any future findings by Juno,
to astronomy?

The Juno Mission was launched on 5th August, 2011 and arrived in Jupiter on 4th July, 2016.
The main goal of the mission was to understand the origin and evolution of Jupiter, as well
as explore the planet’s core, map its magnetic field, observe auroras and measure the
atmosphere [1]. $1.1billion was invested into this 5 year mission, expected to finish its
journey in 2021. It is the second longest mission at Jupiter after the Galileo spacecraft which
explored Jupiter from 1995 to 2003 [2]. Juno is one of NASA’s New Frontiers probes, which
is a program created in 2003 for $1 billion dollar medium-sized missions. It is one of the first
solar powered spacecrafts, as all other spacecrafts relied on nuclear power. NASA states
“solar power is possible on Juno due to improved solar-cell performance, energy-efficient
instruments and spacecraft” [3].

There have been several other spacecrafts that have been missioned to Jupiter, however
they have flown by Jupiter en route to other parts of the solar system. Juno is one of the
only missions other than Galileo that is designated to explore Jupiter solely. According to
NASA, Juno will focus on answering the following questions [4]:
 How much water does Jupiter have in its atmosphere?
 What is Jupiter’s atmosphere like?
 What are the magnetic and gravity fields of Jupiter?
 How does the magnetic environment of Jupiter affect its atmosphere?

The first question will answer key questions on our formation theories of the solar system
and whether it is correct. The second question will enlighten scientists on the gas
composition, temperature and cloud motion for gas giants. The third question will help
scientists understand the interior structure of Jupiter and studying the aurora will clarify the
magnetic environment.

Since 2017, many observations have been made by Juno upon orbiting Jupiter. It was
discovered that Jupiter’s auroras are different to Earth’s and cyclones are present at the
poles. Snow is released from the high altitude clouds residing in the upper atmosphere and
its core seems to be larger than previously expected [5]. The north pole is dominated by
multiple cyclones with diameters between 4000 to 4600km and the south pole is also
surrounded by cyclones 5600 to 7000 km [6]. The discovery of the cyclones is crucial for
understanding the gravitational field of Jupiter at its core.The mission has been extended to
2021 because Scott Bolton announces at the 231st meeting of the American Astronomical
Society that “our ideas were totally wrong about the interior structure, about the
atmosphere and the magnetosphere” [7]. Any future discoveries may further reiterate that
our previous anticipations were incorrect and uncover more mysteries on Jupiter.
[1]https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/main/index.html
[2]https://www.space.com/32742-juno-spacecraft.html
[3]Ibid
[4]https://www.space.com/39348-juno-jupiter-mission-planet-revelations.html
[5]https://www.space.com/41751-jupiter-weird-magnetic-field-even-weirder.html
[6]https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-juno-findings-jupiter-s-jet-streams-are-unearthly
[7]https://www.space.com/39348-juno-jupiter-mission-planet-revelations.html