Japan's robot space invasion of asteroid

[Taro Toporific]

Space mission: Japanese probe pulls alongside asteroidAssociated Press Writer, September 13, 2005
TOKYO ---Bringing Japan's most complex space mission near its climax, a probe is within 12 miles of an asteroid almost 180 million miles...The probe's first mission will be to survey the asteroid with cameras and infrared imaging gear. ...before making its brief landing to recover the samples in early November....more....

[Taro Toporific]

Probe's robot sent toward asteroid is feared lost
The Japan Times: Nov. 13, 2005
A Japanese space probe released a small robot Saturday toward an asteroid orbiting the sun between Earth and Mars as part of a rehearsal for its own planned descent later this month, but the robot probably missed the target, the space agency said.
The probe, named Hayabusa, released the Minerva robot toward the asteroid Itokawa, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said.
But JAXA announced later Saturday that the robot probably failed to land on the asteroid and was lost because Hayabusa released the robot slightly off course.
A practice run Nov. 4 was aborted before Minerva was deployed due to technical problems...more...

[kurohinge1]

...
Probe's robot sent toward asteroid is feared lost
The Japan Times: Nov. 13, 2005

... But JAXA announced later Saturday that the robot probably failed to land on the asteroid and was lost because Hayabusa released the robot slightly off course ...

Maybe they should re-name the probe "hayaibusu".

[Taro Toporific]

Maybe they should re-name the probe "hayaibusu".

Japanese space probe Hayabusa 'dropped the ball' on asteroid landing

Space probe Hayabusa fails to land on asteroid Itokawa
Japan Today, Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 17:15 JST
TOKYO ---The space probe Hayabusa failed to land on the asteroid Itokawa,...The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said data received from the space probe indicates that it has not landed...
The agency earlier said the spacecraft, which temporarily lost contact with it, may have faced some sort of operational trouble. The probe dropped a ball with a reflecting plate as a landing target from about 40 meters above the asteroid around 5:30 a.m. Japan time Sunday...

[Greji]

The agency earlier said the spacecraft, which temporarily lost contact with it...

Just said on TV they still have no contract. Maybe it took the wrong turn at Kasumigaseki? They do seem to have bad luck with their space programs.

[Taro Toporific]

The agency earlier said the spacecraft, which temporarily lost contact with it...

They do seem to have bad luck with their space programs.

Japan now says probe landed on asteroid
Further review of data indicates touchdown, but no samples collected
MSNBC.com: 12:11 p.m. ET Nov. 23, 2005
TOKYO ----Japan's space agency said Wednesday that its spacecraft had successfully touched down on an asteroid 180 million miles (288 million kilometers) from Earth despite an earlier announcement that it had failed.
On Sunday, officials with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, had said the Hayabusa probe---- which is on a mission to land on the asteroid named Itokawa, collect material, then bring it back to Earth--- failed to touch down after maneuvering within yards of the surface.
However, the agency said Wednesday that data confirmed Hayabusa had landed on the surface Sunday for a half-hour, although it failed to collect material....more...

[Taro Toporific]

Japan space probe set for new landing on asteroid
Fri, Nov 25, 2005 1:33:01 PM / TOKYO (Reuters) --- A Japanese space probe on a mission to bring back the first rock samples from an asteroid is preparing to make a fresh attempt to land on its target, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) officials said on Friday.
The officials said they plan to land the unmanned probe on the asteroid, nearly 300 200 million miles from earth, shortly after 7:00 a.m. on Saturday (2200 GMT on Friday).
"It is moving closer and closer to the asteroid. It is about 20 km (12 miles) from the target site now," a JAXA official said on Friday morning. He said the probe would begin its final approach around 10:00 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Friday....more...

[Taro Toporific]

Hayabusa: Spacecraft Lands on Asteroid for Second Time and Snatches Sample
The Planetary Society, 26 November, 2005
With a maneuver that scientists compared to landing a jumbo jet in a moving Grand Canyon, Japan's asteroid explorer, Hayabusa, touched down on the surface of the asteroid Itokawa Saturday for the second time in a week ---- and this time it successfully collected a sample of the surface soils, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced several hours after its bird had flown.
The world's first mission to attempt to land on an asteroid, collect samples, and return them to Earth has completed what is, arguably, the most difficult challenge on its agenda, and will begin the long journey back to Earth in early December. If all goes as planned, the sample will be returned in a capsule slated to land in the Australian outback in June 2007.
Every command necessary for the sampling was carried out, JAXA announced Saturday evening Japan Standard Time (JST) on its website, and agency officials firmly believe that the mission succeeded in the world's first collection of samples of surface materials from an asteroid. It is highly probable, according to the agency, that the asteroid explorer has snatched several grams of surface samples from the near Earth asteroid...more...

[Taro Toporific]

Hayabusa probe may be lost
Thruster problems The Register, Tuesday 29th November 2005 17:38 GMT
The Japanese space agency JAXA has admitted that its Hayabusa probe may not be able to return to Earth because of thruster problems ...
...Project leader Junichiro Kawaguchi admitted to a press conference in Tokyo: "If we cannot revive the thrusters, of course a return journey is impossible." JAXA is not certain, furthermore, that there is sufficient fuel left for the return leg, even if the thrusters can be persuaded to function.

[Taro Toporific]

In new setback, Japanese asteroid probe to stay in space until 2010
- Yahoo! News Wed, Dec 14, 2005 5:48:17 PM
TOKYO (AFP) -A Japanese spacecraft which failed on its landmark mission to collect asteroid samples suffered a new setback with its return to Earth delayed by three years until 2010.
The Hayabusa spacecraft, which last month approached the asteroid 290 million kilometers (180 million miles) from Earth, has been out of control since Friday because of a gas burst caused by leaking fuel....
But the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said it now expected the spacecraft back in June 2010 as it will be another three years before the travelling distance is practical.
"This is disappointing, but we'll spend the coming year to rescue the craft and retrieve it in June 2010 if we can control it again by the beginning of 2007," project manager Junichiro Kawaguchi said at a press conference....
In a humiliating setback, the space agency said last week that the spacecraft likely failed to collect the asteroid dust.

[Buraku]

Is Japan getting its space program back on track ?


Japanese probe launched to observe solar flares
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/latest/200609231340/japanese_probe_launched_to_observe_solar_flares
The Japanese space agency has launched a new mission to explore the sun.

[Buraku]

[Mike Oxlong]

[SIZE="5"]Japanese Hayabusa asteroid mission comes home[/SIZE]

*bonus link to some cool media...