HAYABUSA2 SECOND TOUCHDOWN ON ASTEROID RYUGU, July 10, 2019, 8:30 pm ET (July 11, 9:30 am JST) Webcast

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA’s) Hayabusa2 asteroid sample-return spacecraft will touch down on the asteroid Ryugu for a second time on July 11, 2019.

JAXA will broadcast spacecraft operations from mission control on YouTube beginning at 9:30 am Japan Standard Time (July 10, 8:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time) and a press conference on July 11 at 14:00 JST (1:00 am EDT).

The spacecraft will try to obtain a second sample of Ryugu to return to Earth.  The first sample was obtained in February.  JAXA later dropped a small explosive charge onto Ryugu to expose subsurface material that the spacecraft will collect on this second touchdown.