Thruster problem puts Hayabusa return in jeopardy
Posted: Wed, Nov 30, 2005, 7:19 AM ET (1219 GMT)
A problem with the thrusters on Japan's Hayabusa asteroid spacecraft appears more serious than previously thought and could prevent the spacecraft from returning any samples it collected to Earth. Project officials said that one of two sets of thrusters is suffering from a propellant leak, while the other is suffering from a different problem, and may be frozen. Hayabusa needs to use the thrusters to depart from the vicinity of the asteroid Itokawa and enter a trajectory that brings it back to Earth in mid-2007. Hayabusa has suffered a number of technical problems during its mission, but managed to overcome them last weekend and successfully touch down on the surface of the asteroid and collect samples for return to Earth. Engineers have until mid-December to correct the thruster problem and allow the spacecraft to return to Earth in 2007.
A problem with the thrusters on Japan's Hayabusa asteroid spacecraft appears more serious than previously thought and could prevent the spacecraft from returning any samples it collected to Earth. Project officials said that one of two sets of thrusters is suffering from a propellant leak, while the other is suffering from a different problem, and may be frozen. Hayabusa needs to use the thrusters to depart from the vicinity of the asteroid Itokawa and enter a trajectory that brings it back to Earth in mid-2007. Hayabusa has suffered a number of technical problems during its mission, but managed to overcome them last weekend and successfully touch down on the surface of the asteroid and collect samples for return to Earth. Engineers have until mid-December to correct the thruster problem and allow the spacecraft to return to Earth in 2007.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Wednesday, March 11
Firefly Rocket Launch at Vandenberg Delayed for Second Day in a Row
Noozhawk — 6:53 am ET (1053 GMT) A meteor soared across Europe—and possibly hit a house
Popular Science — 6:52 am ET (1052 GMT) The tiny lens antenna with big potential
ESA — 6:52 am ET (1052 GMT) Starlink’s Pricing Shift: A Bait and Switch for General Aviation
Flying — 6:52 am ET (1052 GMT) Kenyan regulator audits Starlink’s D2C service for interference issues
Developing Telecoms — 6:51 am ET (1051 GMT) |
