Hayabusa lands, collects sample
Posted: Sat, Nov 26, 2005, 9:20 AM ET (1420 GMT)
Japan's Hayabusa spacecraft landed on the surface of the asteroid Itokawa and apparently successfully collected samples from the asteroid's surface, the Japanese space agency JAXA announced Saturday. Hayabusa touched down on the surface of Itokawa at around 5 pm EST Friday (2200 GMT Friday, 7 am Saturday Japan time) and took off shortly thereafter. During its short stay on the surface the spacecraft did fire at least one pellet into the surface; the pellet's impact is intended to stir up material from the surface that would be collected by the spacecraft. While project officials believe that the spacecraft did successfully collect samples, they won't know for certain until Hayabusa returns those samples to Earth in mid-2007. Hayabusa performed a previous landing attempt last weekend; while officials later determined that the spacecraft did reach the surface, it's sample-collection apparatus apparently did not work on that attempt.
Japan's Hayabusa spacecraft landed on the surface of the asteroid Itokawa and apparently successfully collected samples from the asteroid's surface, the Japanese space agency JAXA announced Saturday. Hayabusa touched down on the surface of Itokawa at around 5 pm EST Friday (2200 GMT Friday, 7 am Saturday Japan time) and took off shortly thereafter. During its short stay on the surface the spacecraft did fire at least one pellet into the surface; the pellet's impact is intended to stir up material from the surface that would be collected by the spacecraft. While project officials believe that the spacecraft did successfully collect samples, they won't know for certain until Hayabusa returns those samples to Earth in mid-2007. Hayabusa performed a previous landing attempt last weekend; while officials later determined that the spacecraft did reach the surface, it's sample-collection apparatus apparently did not work on that attempt.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Senate seeks to add $10 billion to NASA human spaceflight programs
Posted: Sat, Jun 7 10:46 AM ET (1446 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, June 17
Starlink speeds rise, but still fall (mostly) short of FCC standards
RCR Wireless News — 1:18 am ET (0518 GMT) Chinese satellite achieves 5 times Starlink speed with 2-watt laser from 36,000km orbit
South China Morning Post — 1:17 am ET (0517 GMT) Does satellite broadband have a business case in the UK and EU?
ITPro — 1:17 am ET (0517 GMT) President Trump was talking to Alabama congressman in Space Command speculation post
Huntsville Times — 1:16 am ET (0516 GMT) Rocket Lab Adds Two New Missions to 2025 Electron Launch Manifest, Schedules First Launch in Four Days’ Time
Business Wire — 1:11 am ET (0511 GMT) |
