The Hayabusa Mission

1
The Hayabusa Mission

• Returning a Sample from a Near Earth Asteroid
• By Kyle Bushong

2
Introduction

• Mission Overview goals, timeline
• Mission Instruments purpose, components, what
  information they can gather
• Pictures Asteroid and spacecraft
• Conclusion

3
Mission Overview

• Hayabusa means falcon in Japanese
• Mission Statement to bring back samples from
  and asteroid and investigate the mysteries of the
  Solar System
• Launched May 9, 2003
• Will journey to 25143 Itokawa (formerly 1998
  SF36), named for Hideo Itokawa who was the father
  of the Japanese space program

4
Mission Overview (cont)

• The spacecraft arrived at Itokawa in mid
  September and has been orbiting the asteroid at
  4.4 km
• Nov. 4 spacecraft descends to 30 m and releases
  a target maker, then the hopper Minerva
• Nov 12, 25 Originally scheduled to make two
  soft landings on the asteroid itself,
  conducting various experiments
• June 07 Re-entry capsule will land in southern
  Australia

5
Mission Goals

• Make contact with and land on Itokawa
• Gather samples of regolith on the surface
• Return samples to Earth for study
• Test new technologies for future missions
• Ion engines
• Autonomous navigation system
• Asteriod landing and sample collection system
• Re-entry capsule system

6
Instrumentation

• Ion engines xenon is ionized by microwaves,
  then a strong electric field accelerates ions and
  expels them at high speed
• Autonomous Navigation System uses cameras and
  laser range finders to determine its position
  relative to its target
• NIRS Near Infrared Spectrometer

7
Link to Pictures

• Hayabusa Pictures

8
Instrumentation

• XRS X-ray based spectrometer
• ONC Optical Navigation Camera
• LIDAR LIght Detection And Ranger
• Minerva - MIcro/Nano Experimental Robot Vehicle
  for Asteroid, hopper lander
• Re-entry capsule capable of withstanding heat
  30 times that of the Apollo ship and 25g

9
What is it up to now?

• Currently holding orbit around Itokawa
• First soft landing (originally scheduled for
  Nov 12) postponed due to abort message received
  before the test finished
• Yesterday, Hayabusa successfully completed this
  maneuver, however, Minerva was lost due to some
  technical dificulties

10
Conclusion

• Primary mission is to collect and return a
  surface sample from an asteroid
• Secondary mission is to test out some new
  technology, the Auto Nav system, ion engines,
  asteroid sample recovery system, and re-entry
  capsule
• Currently, it is conducting final tests before
  attempting to land on the asteroid and gather a
  sample
• Will land twice, then return to Earth, landing in
  Australia in June 07

11
WILD APPLAUSE