Our proud solar probe Hayabusa II marked an unprecedented feat of collecting samples from beneath the surface of the 300-million kilos-away asteroid Ryugu. It could pinpoint the origins of the solar system, remarked the project’s manager Yuichi Tsuda at his jubilant news conference in Sagamihara, Thursday.

Tsuda further commented that no subsurface material had ever been collected from a celestial body beyond the moon and that the feat is worth 1,000 points out of 100.

The probe targeted a touchdown on a point 7 meters in width, located 20 meters from the artificial crater’s center and stretched a tube to the surface and shot a small metallic projectile from it, successfully collecting the subsurface debris as it bounced back up.

Solar winds have largely weathered the surface of the asteroid Ryugu and the subsurface samples collected this time could contain materials that can be traced back to the birth of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. JAXA suggests these samples might contain organic materials and water.

A live telecast from the project’s control room was watched by hundreds of Hayabusa watchers at a nearby museum who cheered at every sign of progress relayed from Hayabusa.

The subsurface materials collected, the probe has thus almost completed its mission and will set on to return to the Earth at the end of this year. “We are now at the stage of getting hold of the samples and operating the probe carefully to bring them back home,” said Tsuda.

More power to Hayabusa II!