Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, this week unveiled its new mining asteroid probe, Hayabusa-2 at its Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture spcae facility.

Hitoshi Kuninaka, professor at JAXA and project leader of Hayabusa-2, said he was grateful as the new asteroid probe is now nearing its completion, adding that the space agency is getting ready to redouble its efforts for this new voyage.

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Hayabusa-2 is the successor to Hayabusa which successfully brought back to Earth some particles from the asteroid, Itokawa last June 2010 after making a seven year voyage despite a series of technical problems.

Hayabusa-2 is anticipated to be launched late this year at JAXA's Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture.

The target asteroid is called 1999 JU3, which, unlike Itokawa, possesses carbon and water. JAXA is hoping that particles and other samples are to be brought back from the asteroid that will hopefully provide clues about the origin of life and how the solar system was formed in its early stages.

Hayabusa-2 has been equipped with solar panels and an antenna to be utilized for communications back to Earth, plus a capsule where samples from asteroid 1999 JU3 will be kept.

Kuninaka, who was responsible for the development of the engine of the first Hayabusa probe, has dealt with technical problems that occured during its voyage.

He later said that he hopes things will go smoothly, referring to the upcoming mission of Hayabusa-2. But he also added some concerns like past difficulties during the process of developing the new asteroid probe. In a concluding note, Kuninaka says, space is never an easy place. 

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