Hayabusa Probably Didn't Get a Sample After All

[FLO]

9 Dec, 2005

The Japanese Hayabusa spacecraft has moved approximately 550 km (340 miles) away from Asteroid Itokawa, beginning the journey back to Earth. Unfortunately, it appears that the spacecraft probably failed to pick up a sample from the asteroid. JAXA officials now think that a metal bullet designed to blast material off of Itokawa's surface probably failed to fire. Hayabusa is severely damaged, and will attempt to make the return journey to Earth, but managers aren't optimistic about its chances.

http://tinyurl.com/bytr9

[FLO]

Japan's problem-plagued Hayabusa spacecraft has enough power to make it back to Earth, tests on two of its four ion engines have revealed.

If the craft does return as planned in 2010, researchers would finally find out whether it collected the first-ever samples from an asteroid during its two landings on the tiny space rock Itokawa.

Source: New Scientist

http://tinyurl.com/g28bp