[meteorite-list] Hayabusa Update - January 25, 2007
From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2007 18:41:26 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: <200701290241.SAA26416_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov> http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00000839/ Hayabusa update By Emily Lakdawalla The Planetary Society Weblog January 25, 2007 With the help of Hideo Fukumori at JSpace, I've received an update on the status of Hayabusa, the Japanese mission to retrieve a sample from an asteroid, from the Japanese science journalist Shin-ya Matsuura. Matsuura said (translated from the Japanese by Fukumori): Preparation for the return trip is currently under way. From what I heard, recharging the damaged battery, which has been considered to be the most risky part, is almost done. The next critical step will be closing the sample capsule using power supply from recharged battery. Successful execution of that step will move Hayabusa a lot closer to the return trip to the Earth. Considering that the return trip operation should be started in February, I guess they will attempt to close sample capsule by the end of this month (January) and make a press release. Or, Prof. Kawaguchi might hold a press conference in February to announce the start of return operation instead. They are planning to achieve 3-axis stabilization with the remaining Z-axis wheel. Attitude control will be done with gimbal movement of ion engine and/or release of xenon gas. That means attitude control will not be very precise and "the trajectory of return trip is expected to be fairly jagged (Prof Kuninaka, JAXA)". Received on Sun 28 Jan 2007 09:41:26 PM PST |
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