Japan probe arrives at asteroid after nearly four-year space odyssey

FILE PHOTO: A H-IIA rocket carrying Hayabusa 2 space probe blasts off from the launching pad at Tanegashima Space Center on the Japanese southwestern island of Tanegashima, in this photo taken by Kyodo December 3, 2014. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERS/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese space probe named after a falcon arrived at an asteroid 300 million kilometres from Earth on Wednesday after a three-and-a half year journey on a mission to seek the origins of life.

The Hayabusa 2 blasted off in December 2014 for the asteroid Ryugu on a pioneering mission to take samples that scientists hope will help reveal how life began. Its round-trip mission is set to take six years.