Japanese Probe Lands On Itokawa Asteroid, Takes Off Again | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-11.04.24

Airborne-NextGen-11.05.24

Airborne-Unlimited-10.30.24

Airborne-FlightTraining-10.31.24

Airborne-Unlimited-11.01.24

Thu, Nov 24, 2005

Japanese Probe Lands On Itokawa Asteroid, Takes Off Again

Maneuvering For Second Attempt To Collect Samples

After analyzing data from this weekend's attempt by the Hayabusa probe to touchdown on the surface of the asteroid Itokawa, Japanese space agency (JAXA) officials said Wednesday the probe did, in fact, touch down on the surface of the asteroid Sunday, before launching itself back into space.

JAXA, monitoring the probe's progress from over 186 million miles away, had initially stated the probe had failed to touch down on the asteroid after deploying a signature-covered touchdown target, and coming within about 56 feet of the surface -- before the agency lost contact with the probe for three stressful hours.

The agency now says the probe touched down for about 1/2 an hour while communications were blacked out, according to the Associated Press.

The probe landed within about 100 feet of the target.

While that's an extraordinary accomplishment -- NASA previously landed the NEAR Shoemaker probe on the asteroid Eros in 2001, but that probe did not liftoff from the surface -- Hayabusa did fail to collect any samples of the asteroid, whereas NEAR transmitted data back to NASA before communications were lost with the probe.

Nevertheless, JAXA Associate Executive Director Yasunori Matogawa was in good spirits. "I think we did a great job," he said.

What's more, Hayabusa has another opportunity to collect samples, as the probe is now maneuvering back towards Itokawa for a second attempt. It had traveled as far as 62 miles away from the 2,300' x 1,000' asteroid since Sunday.

Hayabusa, launched in 2003, can remain on station around Itokawa for about another two weeks before it must leave orbit for the 1 1/2 year trip back to Earth.

If all goes to plan -- and JAXA is keeping their fingers crossed, as the mission has seen a number of (relatively minor) glitches -- the probe will touchdown in the Australian Outback in June 2007.

FMI: www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (11.03.24)

Aero Linx: Not Plane Jane Airplanes have always been a part of my life. My family was actively involved in aviation, and operated an FBO with sales worldwide for nearly fifty years>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (11.03.24)

“As a young child, I intently listened to my grandfather’s flying stories including his role in the Berlin Airlift. Colonel Halverson’s legendary exploits, which >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (11.03.24): Light Gun

Light Gun A handheld directional light signaling device which emits a brilliant narrow beam of white, green, or red light as selected by the tower controller. The color and type of>[...]

Airborne 10.30.24: ArkanSTOL Suspended, Stratolaunch Expands, Artemus III

Also: Boeing To Sell Off Space Biz?, Naval Aviator Honors, Prop Accident, More B-21s? The ArkanSTOL executive team announced that its annual event and competition would be suspende>[...]

Airborne 11.01.24: XB-1 Flies Again, Evektor Fleet Sale, Zepp Record Remembered

Also: Senator Pushes FAA, Gulfstream Goes Starlink, Crew-8 Astro Out of Hospital, PC-12 Flight Hours Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 demonstrator aircraft successfully carried out Fli>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC