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HAYABUSA (MUSES-C)

Today's HAYABUSA / November 5,2009 (JST)
Presumption Distance from Earth : 159,636,050 km

Hot Information

November 9, 2009

Asteroid Explorer "HAYABUSA" Ion Engine Anomaly

On November 4th (Wed., Japan Standard Time), JAXA identified that one of the main ion engines (Thruster D) aboard the Asteroid Explorer “HAYABUSA” had autonomously stopped detecting a high neutralizer voltage owing to degradation.
[ details ]

Current position of HAYABYSA in inertial coordinate system (ecliptic coordinate system) (as of November, 2009)

Proximity Operation Ahead

In June of 2010 Return to the Earth

Success Criteria for HAYABUSA ( defined prior to launch )

[ Success! ] Operation of Ion Engines 50 points
[ Success! ] Operation of Ion Engines for more than 1000 hours 100 points
[ Success! ] Earth Gravity Assist with Ion Engines 150 points
[ Success! ] Rendezvous with Itokawa with Autonomous Navigation 200 points
[ Success! ] Scientific Observation of Itokawa 250 points
[ Success! ] Touch-down and Sample Collection 275 points
Capsule Recovered 400 points
Sample obtained for Analysis 500 points