A Japanese rocket carrying an asteroid-bound space probe blasted off Wednesday from a launch site in southern Japan.<br/> <br />The launch marks the start of a planned six-year mission for the probe -- called the Hayabusa-2 -- to the asteroid known as 1999 JU3 and back.<br/> <br />Hayabusa is the Japanese word for peregrine falcon.<br/> <br />The probe is expected to arrive at the asteroid in mid-2018.<br/> <br />It's supposed to map the surface of the asteroid before touching down to collect samples.<br/> <br />Scientists believe the asteroid contains organic matter that may have contributed to life on Earth.<br/> <br />The Hayabusa-2 is due to return with the samples in 2020 -- the same year Tokyo hosts the Summer Olympic Games.
