ID :
127680
Mon, 06/14/2010 - 10:29
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/127680
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Japanese space probe returns to Earth from 7-yr round trip to asteroid
+
WOOMERA, Australia, June 14 Kyodo -
Japan's Hayabusa space probe reentered Earth's atmosphere on Sunday,
successfully completing its seven-year voyage to an asteroid and back, and
possibly bringing with it the first asteroid surface samples, space agency
officials said.
Hayabusa, whose mission was to probe the asteroid Itokawa about 300 million
kilometers from Earth across the Sun, made an unprecedented round trip to an
astronomical body other than the moon.
After leaving Earth in May 2003, Hayabusa traveled some 6 billion kilometers,
making about five circles around the Sun and surviving a series of
technological problems that often threatened its return and put it three years
behind schedule.
While the spacecraft itself burned out before touching the ground, a special
heat-resistant capsule, possibly containing sand from Itokawa, landed in the
desert around Woomera in southern Australia, according to the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency, commonly known as JAXA.
Scientists are set to recover the round-bottomed pan-shaped capsule, 40
centimeters in diameter and 20 cm in height, as early as Monday, hoping to find
any substance from the asteroid that would provide information to help them
understand the origin and evolution of the solar system.
So far, scientists have only managed to bring moon rocks back to Earth under
the U.S. Apollo program.
Asteroids, sometimes referred to as celestial fossils, are believed to be
records of the early stages of the solar system.
''The most important goal of Hayabusa was to go and come back,'' said Yasunori
Matogawa, a senior JAXA official involved in the mission, adding Hayabusa's
successful mission has put Japan ahead of the world in terms of comprehensive
solar-system exploration technology.
Itokawa is an asteroid in an orbit near Earth and Mars, discovered in 1998 by
researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and named after the
late Japanese rocket scientist Hideo Itokawa.
In Hayabusa's control room in JAXA's facility in Sagamihara, Kanagawa
Prefecture, controllers clapped and cheered after confirming the light and
radio waves emitted by the capsule while it was descending. But some JAXA
officials said they feel sad the main unit had to burn out.
More than 200 space fans gathered at the JAXA facility to watch videos from the
control room live, shown on displays set up in a conference room and a lobby.
JAXA also released a photo of Earth taken by Hayabusa immediately before
plunging into the atmosphere. The space probe took the photo with the same
camera used for taking photos of Itokawa. The agency had been worried about
whether it could successfully reboot the camera which had been turned off to
save energy after photographing the asteroid.
Numerous technologies were employed in the demonstrator spacecraft during its
trip to prepare for full-fledged space exploration in the future. They included
the use of an advanced ion engine, autonomous navigation to an asteroid,
landing, sample collection, and the return flight to Earth.
While it is believed to have failed to shoot a metallic ball at the asteroid to
collect its rock samples, sand could have entered the capsule due to the impact
of the landing, according to agency officials.
Three hours before entering Earth's atmosphere, Hayabusa, meaning falcon in
Japanese, released the capsule that landed with the aid of a parachute.
Hayabusa experienced serious problems such as fuel leaks, a communication
outage for about three months, and engine trouble, but its project team came up
with counter measures every time, such as obtaining propelling power for one
engine by combining two broken engines, leading many people to write messages
in support of the mission on the JAXA website.
Officials said the mission not only brought scientific and technological
achievements but also gave chances to young scientists and engineers to learn
and grow through the experience, sometimes coming up with measures to deal with
the problems.
No further scientific exploration plans have been authorized by the government
so far, but experts are calling for development of the next explorer, saying it
is crucial for keeping the experience and knowledge alive.
==Kyodo
2010-06-14 00:24:40
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WOOMERA, Australia, June 14 Kyodo -
Japan's Hayabusa space probe reentered Earth's atmosphere on Sunday,
successfully completing its seven-year voyage to an asteroid and back, and
possibly bringing with it the first asteroid surface samples, space agency
officials said.
Hayabusa, whose mission was to probe the asteroid Itokawa about 300 million
kilometers from Earth across the Sun, made an unprecedented round trip to an
astronomical body other than the moon.
After leaving Earth in May 2003, Hayabusa traveled some 6 billion kilometers,
making about five circles around the Sun and surviving a series of
technological problems that often threatened its return and put it three years
behind schedule.
While the spacecraft itself burned out before touching the ground, a special
heat-resistant capsule, possibly containing sand from Itokawa, landed in the
desert around Woomera in southern Australia, according to the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency, commonly known as JAXA.
Scientists are set to recover the round-bottomed pan-shaped capsule, 40
centimeters in diameter and 20 cm in height, as early as Monday, hoping to find
any substance from the asteroid that would provide information to help them
understand the origin and evolution of the solar system.
So far, scientists have only managed to bring moon rocks back to Earth under
the U.S. Apollo program.
Asteroids, sometimes referred to as celestial fossils, are believed to be
records of the early stages of the solar system.
''The most important goal of Hayabusa was to go and come back,'' said Yasunori
Matogawa, a senior JAXA official involved in the mission, adding Hayabusa's
successful mission has put Japan ahead of the world in terms of comprehensive
solar-system exploration technology.
Itokawa is an asteroid in an orbit near Earth and Mars, discovered in 1998 by
researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and named after the
late Japanese rocket scientist Hideo Itokawa.
In Hayabusa's control room in JAXA's facility in Sagamihara, Kanagawa
Prefecture, controllers clapped and cheered after confirming the light and
radio waves emitted by the capsule while it was descending. But some JAXA
officials said they feel sad the main unit had to burn out.
More than 200 space fans gathered at the JAXA facility to watch videos from the
control room live, shown on displays set up in a conference room and a lobby.
JAXA also released a photo of Earth taken by Hayabusa immediately before
plunging into the atmosphere. The space probe took the photo with the same
camera used for taking photos of Itokawa. The agency had been worried about
whether it could successfully reboot the camera which had been turned off to
save energy after photographing the asteroid.
Numerous technologies were employed in the demonstrator spacecraft during its
trip to prepare for full-fledged space exploration in the future. They included
the use of an advanced ion engine, autonomous navigation to an asteroid,
landing, sample collection, and the return flight to Earth.
While it is believed to have failed to shoot a metallic ball at the asteroid to
collect its rock samples, sand could have entered the capsule due to the impact
of the landing, according to agency officials.
Three hours before entering Earth's atmosphere, Hayabusa, meaning falcon in
Japanese, released the capsule that landed with the aid of a parachute.
Hayabusa experienced serious problems such as fuel leaks, a communication
outage for about three months, and engine trouble, but its project team came up
with counter measures every time, such as obtaining propelling power for one
engine by combining two broken engines, leading many people to write messages
in support of the mission on the JAXA website.
Officials said the mission not only brought scientific and technological
achievements but also gave chances to young scientists and engineers to learn
and grow through the experience, sometimes coming up with measures to deal with
the problems.
No further scientific exploration plans have been authorized by the government
so far, but experts are calling for development of the next explorer, saying it
is crucial for keeping the experience and knowledge alive.
==Kyodo
2010-06-14 00:24:40
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