http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/space-mission-down-to-earth-after-seven-years-and-4-billion-km/story-e6frg6nf-1225879637609
Space mission down to Earth after seven years and 4 billion km Leigh Dayton, Science writer From: The Australian June 15, 2010 12:00AM AFTER waiting seven years for the Hayabusa spacecraft to complete a 4 billion kilometre return journey that ended in the South Australian outback yesterday, scientists will have to hold on for another two to four weeks before they find out whether it has achieved its goal of bringing the first asteroid samples back to Earth. Until then, the saucer-shaped re-entry capsule will be handled with considerable care as it is transported to Japan for testing. Yesterday, a helicopter carrying a small group of scientists and Aboriginal elders, along with representatives of the RAAF and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, flew to the remote area to retrieve the capsule. It was returned -- unopened -- to nearby Woomera, where it was repackaged in preparation for its journey to Japan. If the mission has gone according to plan, when the capsule is opened in the next two to four weeks, scientists will find samples of the rocky surface of the asteroid Itokawa -- named after Japanese rocket scientist Hideo Itokawa -- in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It would mark the first such collection of samples from an asteroid. Australian National University geochemist Trevor Ireland, who was at Woomera along with scientists from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and US space agency NASA, said the mission had gone smoothly and everyone involved was confident samples had been successfully gathered. "It's been absolutely like clockwork," he said of the final leg of the Hayabusa mission. Launched on May 9, 2003, Hayabusa travelled about 2 billion km to Itokawa, made two rubble retrieval landings and journeyed home, dropping the sample return capsule to Earth, roughly 60km north of Glendambo, South Australia. "That was exactly where it was supposed to be, which is amazing," Professor Ireland said. However, no one is sure whether the rubble retrievals were successful because of a temporary loss of communication between the spacecraft and Earth. Along with the capsule, the team found what appears to be its protective heat shield. Related Coverage a.. Now for the dust to clear Adelaide Now, 3 hours ago b.. Hayabusa lands in SA outback Adelaide Now, 5 hours ago c.. Hayabusa spacecraft lands in Australia The Australian, 14 hours ago d.. Asteroid probe lands in SA outback Herald Sun, 19 hours ago e.. Aborigines to greet Japanese spacecraft The Australian, 2 days ago [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
