(UTV|COLOMBO) – Japan’s Space Agency (Jaxa) has released new images from the robot rovers it has deployed to the surface of an asteroid.
The photos reveal new details of the surface of the space rock, which is known as Ryugu.
On 21 September, the rovers were released on to the surface by the “Mothership”, Hayabusa 2.
Hayabusa 2 reached Ryugu in June after a three-and-a-half-year journey.
The pictures show in clear relief the rugged, boulder-strewn landscape of this striking Solar System body.
The robots, known as Rover 1A and Rover 1B, are now both confirmed to be working on the surface of the space rock.
The 1kg autonomous rovers move about by hopping, using the asteroid’s low gravity. Each one contains a motor-powered internal mass that rotates to generate force, propelling the robot across the surface.
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