TOKYO: The Japanese government presented the prime minister’s award to the project team of the Hayabusa2 unmanned asteroid probe of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, on Thursday.

In a ceremony held at the prime minister’s office, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga praised a number of the spacecraft’s world-first achievements, including two landings on asteroid Ryugu.

JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa said, “It would be an honor if we were able to contribute to cheering up Japan.”

Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Yuichi Tsuda, manager of the Hayabusa2 project, noted that the spacecraft is now heading to a new asteroid. “I hope it (the new mission) can show more attractions of space exploration,” he said.

In return for the award, JAXA presented a model of Ryugu to the prime minister.

A capsule containing sand samples from the asteroid was retrieved in Australia and arrived back in Japan earlier this month after being separated from Hayabusa2.

JIJI Press