Hayabusa Thruster Problems May Prevent Asteroid Sample Return To Earth

IRON AND ICE

The unmanned six-meter (20-foot) craft is supposed to begin returning to Earth in mid-December.

Tokyo (AFP) Nov 26, 2005
The Japanese Hayabusa probe, believed to have collected the first-ever samples from an asteroid- has been hit by technical trouble that could mean the landmark mission ends in failure, officials said Tuesday.

The Hayabusa probe successfully landed on Itokawa asteroid 290 million kilometers (180 million miles) from Earth on Saturday for the second time and scientists are optimistic it succeeded in collecting material from the surface.

The unmanned six-meter (20-foot) craft is supposed to begin returning to Earth in mid-December.

But the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which operates the probe, said it found a problem with one of its thrusters designed to control its position.

"Because of the trouble, we have failed to set its antenna facing Earth," a spokeswoman said. "We cannot begin its return operation until we can fix the trouble."

The spokeswoman said JAXA has to wait for another three years if it misses a planned departure time in mid-December, when a distance between Earth and the asteroid is "ideal for its return trip."

"Even if we can try again in three years, it is not certain if the battery of Hayabusa can be still used."

Hayabusa was launched in May 2003 with a budget of 12.7 billion yen (just over 100 million dollars) and is scheduled to return to Earth in June 2007.

The mission is aimed at helping scientists learn more about how the solar system was created. It could also provide information about asteroids in a bid to deflect a celestial object on a collision course with Earth.

At a distance from Earth equal to half the distance to the Moon, the capsule containing samples collected from the asteroid is due to detach from the probe and touch down in the Australian outback.

Japan's space program has been eyeing more ambitious projects after its humiliating setback in November 2003 when it had to destroy a rocket carrying a satellite to spy on communist neighbor North Korea shortly after lift-off when one of two rocket boosters failed to separate.

In February, Japan sent a weather satellite into space, its first launch since the 2003 failure.

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IRON AND ICE

Japan Probe 'Almost Certainly' Collected First-Ever Asteroid Samples

Tokyo (AFP) Nov 26, 2005
A Japanese spacecraft successfully landed on a far-away asteroid Saturday for a second time and almost certainly collected the first-ever samples from such a celestial body, Japan's space agency said.

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