Probe samples asteroid and starts home

[Martin]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,3605,1652178,00.html

 

----quote from Guardian----

Probe returning to Earth after asteroid landing

Alok Jha

Monday November 28, 2005

The Guardian

 

The Japanese space probe Hayabusa began its journey home yesterday after becoming the first spacecraft to successfully land on an asteroid and collect samples.

Scientists want to study the fragments of the 300-metre-wide asteroid Itokawa, 180m miles from Earth, for signs of how the solar system was born. The probe fired a metal ball into Itokawa and collected the debris. Jaxa, the Japanese space agency, will not be certain of total success until the probe has been opened after its return, planned for 2007.

 

The probe had technical difficulties last week, possibly due to a gas leak.

 

----endquote----

[ecoli]

The gas leak isn't interfering with the return, is it?

[Martin]

The gas leak isn't interfering with the return, is it?

 

It would appear not, maybe it was just temporary problem.

I'd be happy if someone could provide a link to more information. I only know what I just now read in the Guardian (which is not very much!)

[Royston]

Well I found this recent article if that's any help. Apparently they may have to wait three years to send the craft back if the problem isn't rectified very soon. If it's not fixed they'll have to wait three years until the distance between Earth and the asteroid is suitable for a return flight.

 

Due to the thruster problem they're having trouble aligning the craft to make the return trip, here's the link....

 

http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn8390-thruster-problem-may-scupper-hayabusas-return-to-earth.html

[Martin]

Well I found this recent article if that's any help. Apparently they may have to wait three years to send the craft back if the problem isn't rectified very soon. If it's not fixed they'll have to wait three years until the distance between Earth and the asteroid is suitable for a return flight.

 

Due to the thruster problem they're having trouble aligning the craft to make the return trip' date=' here's the link....

 

http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn8390-thruster-problem-may-scupper-hayabusas-return-to-earth.html[/quote']

 

Thanks, Snail!

I see you found a 29 November article from New Scientist.

 

---sample quote---

Thruster problem may scupper Hayabusa's return to Earth

29 November 2005

 

A fuel thruster problem with Japan's Hayabusa spacecraft appears to be more serious than originally thought - and could prevent the mission from returning to Earth with the first-ever samples from an asteroid.

---endquote---

 

what a pity. I wish success to the japanese space program despite this setback. it seems important to have many countries carrying on the robot exploration of the solar system, so if the US goes off track there still is a large broadbase effort. sorry they had this bad luck.