Hayabusa-2: Japan's rovers ready for touchdown on asteroid

Japan's space agency is preparing to deploy two robotic explorers to the surface of an asteroid. On Friday, the Hayabusa-2 spacecraft will despatch a pair of "rovers" to the 1km-wide space rock known as Ryugu. Rover 1A and Rover 1B will move around by hopping in Ryugu's low gravity; they will capture images of the surface and measure temperatures. Hayabusa-2 reached the asteroid Ryugu in June this year after a three-and-a-half-year journey. If all goes well, Hayabusa-2 will be the first spacecraft to successfully place robot rovers on the surface of an asteroid.