Japanese craft to deliver space rock to outback

[MikeyB]

510 kg of hi-tech Japanese spacecraft is heading for Australia in June, returning from a deep space asteroid rendezvous:

Hayabusa will become the first spacecraft to bring asteroid material to Earth! (http://www.theage.com.au/technology/sci-tech/japanese-craft-to-deliver-space-rock-to-outback-20100421-t0lp.html)

[JimmyH155]

Is this the satellite that has been badly damaged and has been nursed back??:shrug:
How will it land?? Parachute perhaps??
Sounds exciting:D

[Baddad]

Hi MikeyB, :)

Pristine condition. That will be interesting.Asteroid samples not being heat affected. How long before we hear the results of initial investigations I wonder.

Cheers Marty

[gary]

Re-entry at approx 14:00 UTC June 13th 2010.



See http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/enterp/missions/hayabusa/trj.shtml#new
See http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/topics/2010/0421.shtml

[MikeyB]

It appears that the Japanese aren't sure whether any samples were in fact collected, so the project could turn out to have failed in its primary mission:

Wikipedia: Hayabusa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayabusa)

Even without samples, if they can achieve a successful return and landing, I'd rate it as an incredible demonstration of technical prowess, that I hope will be followed by more such attempts.