* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: HAYABUSA (MUSES-C) mission

Blobrana · L

The probe is having troubles.
After backing some 5-km away from the asteroid, Hayabusa reportedly developed a gas leak in one of its thrusters.
Mission controllers are investigating.

Hayabusa successfully touched down on the surface and ejected the sampling pellet at 7:07 am, Nov. 29th JST. All the sequence has been done normally, and the spacecraft has ascended from Itokawa keeping attitude stabilised.
The target marker deployed last time was visible from a certain height during the landing sequence, so a new target marker was neither needed nor released.

Shortly before 11:00 am JST , a possible leakage was detected in the thruster system.
Mission control saw the signs of this problem during the descent phase, but at that time they switched to the backup system and continued the descent.
When they switched to the main system from the backup system and started the thruster operation, the same problem occurred. Due to the attitude change, the probe automatically switched to the safe mode. After that, they controlled the valve to stop the leakage.

Mission control will use the next three days to get it out of the safe mode. Getting out of the safe mode will be their first priority. After that we'll start downloading the data.

The amount of leakage of propellant does not seem to hinder the current operation.
The sequence of the onboard computer is confirmed to have executed normally. They expect the touchdown attitude was good, but we'll have to wait for the completion of data downloading for definite answer.

Blobrana · L

The space probe Hayabusa was thought to have successfully retrieved samples from the surface of asteroid Itokawa after its touchdown Saturday morning, according to Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency officials.

If successful, the rock samples from asteroid Itokawa would be the first to be retrieved from beyond the moon's orbit.
Having already lifted off from the surface of Itokawa, the Hayabusa will begin its return home next month and reach Earth in June, the officials said Saturday.
On Friday evening, Hayabusa began its slow approach to Itokawa. Upon its descent, it successfully located a metal ball bearing the names of about 880,000 people that served as its target marker on the asteroid's surface.
The ball was dropped as a landmark when Hayabusa made contact with the asteroid for the first time on Nov. 20.
The probe landed on Itokawa shortly after 7 a.m. After shooting a 5-gram metal ball from its meter-long conical sampling device, it is believed the Hayabusa immediately took off, the officials said.

Chunks of rock and dust were hurled into space around the celestial body upon the ball's impact, and were later collected by the device and stored in an internal capsule, the officials said.
The device, which did not function properly during the first landing, was confirmed to have worked normally, the officials said.
But despite a number of problems, including a malfunctioning gyroscope, Hayabusa has not lost communication with its mission control centre.
If the robotic probe returns to Earth safely, the capsule will be launched into the atmosphere to deliver the samples, the officials said.
Unlike the planets, the asteroid is believed to have remained unchanged since the solar system was formed an estimated 4.6 billion years ago.
Rocky chunks to be brought back by Hayabusa may prove to be important in shedding light on the origin of the solar system.

Source

Blobrana · L

Image from the November 20th landing.

Blobrana · L

Hayabusa briefly touched down on asteroid Itokawa and fired two 5-gram tantalum pellets onto the surface.
Scientists believe the probe collected the debris, but will only be sure when the craft returns to Earth in 2007.

The probe was put into safe holding mode after it showed signs of trouble.
According to Atsushi Akoh, JAXA spokesman, the probe appeared to be shaking vertically due to problems with its thrusters.

"we know that during the first landing attempt, one or more thrusters touched the ground, and that may be the source of this trouble. But it's still a speculation" - Professor Matokawa.

The probe is currently 288,249,050-km form Earth.

Blobrana · L

The "Main Building" of the ISAS laboratory

Blobrana · L

Hayabusa is now 4 - 5 kilometers away from Itokawa

Blobrana · L

Engineers discussing in the operations room

Blobrana · L

According to Kawaguchi Project Manager, "The sampler horn touched something at 07:07am in the Hayabusa time."

Blobrana · L

The High-gain (high-speed) telemetry was established between Hayabusa and Usuda Deep Space Centre.
Mission control are analysing the downloaded data.

Another landing attempt has not been ruled out, they still have bullets and one target marker onboard.
But, the situation of remaining propellant is critical.

Professor Matokawa, smiling and showing a V sign to the streaming Web cam.

-- Edited by Blobrana at 01:32, 2005-11-26