The second in the Hayabusa series will drop probes on and take samples from asteroid 1999 JU3.

Hayabusa means "peregrine falcon" in Japanese. The Hayabusa2 probe is an ambitious mission to make three separate landings on an asteroid, drop rovers and experiments onto its surface, and return a capsule containing asteroid samples to Earth.

Hayabusa2's target is the C-type (carbonaceous) asteroid 1999 JU3. Landing is planned for June 2018. A capsule containing asteroid samples shoud be returned to Earth in December 2020.

Hayabusa2 carries backups of hardware that failed on the first Hayabusa, helping to ensure a successful return of asteroid samples. The probe also carries a lander and a pair of rovers for exploring the asteroid’s surface. An explosive impact device (SCI) allows Hayabusa to study the asteroid’s composition from a safe distance.