Hayabusa2 probe to near Earth on Dec. 6 to drop asteroid samples

The space probe Hayabusa2 will return to the vicinity of Earth on Dec. 6 to drop a capsule containing samples collected from an asteroid that could help explain the origin of life, the Japanese government said Tuesday.The capsule to be released from the Hayabusa2, which was launched on a rocket in December 2014, is expected to land in southern Australia, science minister Koichi Hagiuda told a press conference.Related coverage:JAXA to start flight tests in June to develop reusable rocket techBoeing's new spacecraft fails to reach International Space StationREAD FULL ARTICLE