Hayabusa-2: Japanese probe set to 'bomb' an asteroid bbc.com

The Japanese Hayabusa-2 spacecraft is about to detonate an explosive charge on the asteroid it is exploring. The operation is designed to generate an artificial crater in the asteroid Ryugu, which the probe has been studying since June 2018. Hayabusa-2 will later descend into the crater to collect pristine samples of the asteroid that have not been exposed to the harsh environment of space. The charge is carried on the Small Carry-On Impactor (SCI) device. This is a 14kg conical container attached to Hayabusa-2 and packed with plastic explosive.