The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA ) announced Friday it will postpone the launch of Hayabusa 2 scheduled this Sunday.

Japan's space agency said the cancellation was due to bad weather. It said cloud cover was too heavy and too cold over the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Kagoshima prefecture. The cloud cover is expected to exceed the limits for suitable weather around the time of launch on November 30, Japan Standard Time.

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"The new launch day will be no earlier than December 1 (Mon.), 2014 (JST). The new launch day and time will be announced as soon as it is determined after carefully examining the weather conditions," said JAXA.

Hayabusa2 weighs about 1,300 lbs (590 kg) and was constructed by NEC Corporation based in Tokyo. In addition to the other high-tech devices on board, the craft will use a Ka-band communication system and an intermediate infrared camera.

JAXA plans to land Hayabusa 2 on an asteroid that orbits between Earth and Mars. A heavy lift H-2A rocket will take Hayabusa 2 into orbit.

Hayabusa 2 will take six years to reach an asteroid called 1999 JU3. It will land on the asteroid to collect soil samples. Scientists expect the mission to help better understand origins of the solar system and life on Earth.

1999 JU3 asteroid is about 900 meters in diameter and scientists believe it contains organic compounds and water, the key to life.

The first Hasyabusa mission landed on the Itokawa asteroid in 2005 and returned safely to Earth in 2010.

It was the first probe to bring samples of an asteroid's surface dust for methodical analysis.

Tagshayabusa 2, Hayabusa 2 Launch Postpone, jaxa, Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, asteroid probe, asteroid, space exploration, Mars, Earth, spacecraft, 1999 JU3 asteroid, 1999 JU3