NHK WORLD
 
Japan has successfully launched its new asteroid explorer Hayabusa2.
 
The H2A rocket carrying the probe lifted off from Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan on Wednesday at 1:22 PM.
 
After about one hour and 50 minutes in flight, the explorer was detached from the rocket and entered the planned, initial orbit.
 
Hayabusa2 is successor to the first Hayabusa probe that returned to Earth in 2010 with surface samples from the asteroid "Itokawa".
 
The new probe is headed for another asteroid believed to contain water and organic substances.
 
It is expected to bring back samples of rock and sand to help researchers studying the evolution of the solar system and the origins of life.
 
The probe will use a new device called an "impactor" to collect samples, firing metal projectiles at the asteroid at a speed of 2 kilometers a second.
 
Hayabusa2 is box-shaped and stands 1.25 meters tall. It has 2 solar panel arrays, and 2 circular antennas. Its ion engines have greater thrust and durability than those on the original Hayabusa.
 
The probe is expected to arrive at the target asteroid in 3 and half years. Its return to Earth is scheduled for December, 2020.