■Nathan Shiga: March 1

In case you do not know, “Ryugu” is a virtual seabed palace where a fancy marine princess named Otohime reigns over the world of marine organisms – fish, seashells, octopus and you name it. There is a dramatic episode of a male human once visiting the palace, etc. etc. but we put off the lengthy story aside for now.

In real life, the asteroid probe “Hayabusa 2” is about to reach its counterpart in space, the planetoid “Ryugu”, this year to collect rocks and such organic samples. Hayabusa 2 has thus far travelled 2,700 milion kilos heading for the planetoid now 3.7 million kilos away.

Hayabusa 2 is to blast its engine for 5 five months from now on to enter the orbit of Ryugu. It is scheduled to land on the planetoid in June this year.

Traveling at a speed of 350 meters per hour 300 million kilos away from the earth, Hayabusa 2 has just relayed brilliant images of the Ryugu reflecting the solar light, announed the Tanegashima Space Center, Kagoshima.

The center expects Hayabusa 2 to land on the planetoid in June/July three times in a month and half time to collect rocks. Such rocks, sand, water and organic matters from the planetoid Ryugu might possibly help clarify the origin of life, it is reported.

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