Only in 2007 when the spacecraft lands in the deserts of Australia will the scientists know for sure if the mission was successful
Avi Blizovsky
The Yabusa spacecraft was able to photograph its shadow on the asteroid
Update 10:00
The Japanese space agency believes that Yabusa has become the first spacecraft to collect soil samples from the face of an asteroid. However, they will only be sure of this when the Yabusa return to Earth in 2007.
The length of the asteroid Itukuwa is 690 meters and its width is about 300 meters. Its gravity is 1/100,000 that of Earth. The asteroid is currently 290 million kilometers from Earth.
09: 45 Update
The Japanese space agency JAXA believes that the Yabusa spacecraft has successfully landed and collected soil samples from the asteroid Itokuwa.
Tonight, the spacecraft successfully landed on the asteroid and launched a small metal ball so that its impact would cause dust to be released from the surface so that it could be collected, the agency said. However, the scientists will be sure if indeed the spacecraft took the samples when it returns to Earth in 2007.
Malfunction in the propeller of the Yabusa spaceship
09:30
The Japanese spacecraft "Hyabusa", which landed early this morning on the asteroid "Itokawa", started moving up and down apparently due to problems with the propeller. The Japanese space agency JAXA says that the spacecraft, which is now hovering about 5 kilometers from the surface of the asteroid, will be transferred to a 'safe mode' until the malfunction is checked. This morning the Japanese Space Agency said that the spacecraft managed to land, but for several hours there was no sign of whether it was also able to collect the samples. In the previous attempt, on Sunday this week, the spacecraft stayed on the asteroid's ground for half an hour, failed to complete its mission and took off.
The Yabusa landed on the asteroid Itokuwa, but it is not clear if it was able to take the soil samples
שבת, 26/11/2005 08:00
The Yabusa spacecraft successfully landed for the second time on the asteroid Itukuwa. This is what the Japanese Space Agency said tonight. However, it is not yet clear whether she was able to take soil samples.
As mentioned, this is the second landing attempt after the spacecraft landed on the asteroid on Sunday this week, stayed on its surface for about half an hour and took off without collecting samples.
Yabusa: Landing attempt Monday night (between Friday and Saturday) at midnight
25/11/2005 time 19:30
Tonight (between Friday and Saturday) around midnight Israel time (Saturday, seven in the morning Japan time, 22:00 Friday GMT) the Yabusa spacecraft is supposed to land again on the spinning asteroid Itoqua. As a reminder, on Saturday the spacecraft landed on the asteroid but was unable to release the soil sample collection equipment (see the rest of the news)
The target marker - a device the size of a can that includes a separate radio transmitter from the yabusa a few hours before the landing attempt, from a height of 32 meters above the surface of the asteroid
The Yabusa landed on the asteroid but was unable to dig up soil samples from its soil
24/11/2005
The Japanese spacecraft Yabusa landed safely on the asteroid it was sent to despite the initial failure announcement made by the Japanese on Sunday. However, it seems that it failed to release the soil collection equipment to the surface of the asteroid Itoqua.
The Japanese spacecraft is on a mission to collect and return soil samples from Itokawa to Earth in the summer of 2007.
The flight controllers lost contact with the spacecraft after maneuvering a few meters above the space rock. However, the data confirmed that the Yabusa landed on Itokawa on Sunday for half an hour. The Japanese space agency said.
As recalled on Sunday, agency spokesman Toshihisa Hirogoshi said that "the Hayabusa came very close but did not manage to land." He added that the reasons for the malfunction are unknown.
However, in an update provided on Wednesday, the agency announced that the spacecraft managed to land on the asteroid, which is 290 million km from Earth, for thirty minutes. This is the first landing of a Japanese spacecraft on another object in the solar system. the agency said.
The Japanese space agency JAXA said that it will decide today (Thursday) whether to make a second attempt to land the Yabusa tomorrow, Friday November 25.
Although the body of the spacecraft suffered major damages some of the sensors still need to be tested. the agency said.
