Hayabusa 2 on its way back to earth

[Gargamel]

16 hours ago, insert_name said:

It is rotating retrograde, not orbiting

Well that's a HUGE difference.   I was trying to figure out why they would go there, and how.    Do we even have any rockets (et al) capable of a retrograde solar orbit?

[Wjolcz]

4 hours ago, Gargamel said:

Well that's a HUGE difference.   I was trying to figure out why they would go there, and how.    Do we even have any rockets (et al) capable of a retrograde solar orbit?

Doubt it. Solar polar orbit with a gravity assist from Jupiter is certainly possible though. Maybe it would be possible to go from polar to retrograde, but that would take a lot of time. Somebody should try that in KSP.

[cubinator]

6 hours ago, Gargamel said:

Well that's a HUGE difference.   I was trying to figure out why they would go there, and how.    Do we even have any rockets (et al) capable of a retrograde solar orbit?

No, but we have a Jupiter. If you swung really close you could probably get into a highly elliptical sun dive, the trouble is getting a sun dive that's remotely close to whatever comet you're trying to reach.

[DAL59]

This is a very interesting mission because it has a lot of deployables.  It carries the return capsule, 4 rovers, a detachable anti-tank round, and a detachable camera(so it can move out of the way of the debris).  

 

[Kerbart]

Let me start by making clear that Hayabusa is an amazing mission and that I do expect to see absolutely stunning imagery from this mission.

However, "clear terrain image" a blob a dozen pixels wide is not.

"First images" or "Exciting first images;" yes.

[kerbiloid]

Spoiler

5 hours ago, Kerbart said:

Let me start by making clear that Hayabusa is an amazing mission and that I do expect to see absolutely stunning imagery from this mission.

However, "clear terrain image" a blob a dozen pixels wide is not.

As this cubic Minecraft asteroid is made of cubes, these "pixels" are those cubes.

Spoiler

6 hours ago, DAL59 said:

It carries the return capsule, 4 rovers, a detachable anti-tank round

At least, will they first suggest to surrender?

 

Edited June 23, 2018 by kerbiloid

[Gargamel]

On 6/22/2018 at 8:08 AM, Wjolcz said:

Doubt it. Solar polar orbit with a gravity assist from Jupiter is certainly possible though. Maybe it would be possible to go from polar to retrograde, but that would take a lot of time. Somebody should try that in KSP.

 

On 6/22/2018 at 9:26 AM, cubinator said:

No, but we have a Jupiter. If you swung really close you could probably get into a highly elliptical sun dive, the trouble is getting a sun dive that's remotely close to whatever comet you're trying to reach.

Yeah, I figured a Jool Jupiter slingshot would be required, I just didn't know if we had any wessel capable of doing this solo. 

[Mitchz95]

That giant crater makes it look like an octahedronal Death Star.

[insert_name]

Imaged from 40km away, rocks on the surface are clearly visible

http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/20180625je/index_e.html

[NSEP]

30 minutes ago, insert_name said:

Imaged from 40km away, rocks on the surface are clearly visible

http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/20180625je/index_e.html

Looks alot like Iapetus, it has the ridge thing, even the eye.

 

[kerbiloid]

Spoiler

It's the door of Ryuguzilla lair.
They'll drop four rovers which will be  running around and roaring.
When Ryuguzilla gets her head out of the door to look what happens, they'll shoot an impactor right into forehead.

(Don't worry, these beasts have strong skulls, nothing will happen but just a bump on the head)

An orbiter with webcam will be flying around and make selfie video with Ryuguzilla.

Spoiler

Later somebody will make an anime.

 

Edited June 25, 2018 by kerbiloid

[Xd the great]

Somehow,  i believe the round was meant as a next generation weapon meant to use in space and funded by the Space Force. Or CIA.

Edited June 26, 2018 by Xd the great

[insert_name]

vessel is now hovering at 20km away

[insert_name]

Image from 22km away, features on the boulders are becoming visible

[insert_name]

Arrival press release, albedo and color has been observed, it's a very dark grey

http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/20180629je/index_e.html

[SuperFastJellyfish]

Have they given a timeframe for the rover brigade, lander, and impact phases?

[insert_name]

1 hour ago, SuperFastJellyfish said:

Have they given a timeframe for the rover brigade, lander, and impact phases?

first rover and touchdown sometime this fall

http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/mission_schedule/

[insert_name]

Stereo image released

http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/20180704je/index_e.html

Edited July 6, 2018 by insert_name

[Just Jim]

On 6/29/2018 at 12:43 PM, insert_name said:

first rover and touchdown sometime this fall

http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/mission_schedule/

First touchdown slot sometime September-October...

My birthday is September 3rd... wouldn't that be a cool present????  

 

[cubinator]

On 7/5/2018 at 8:03 PM, insert_name said:

Stereo image released

http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/20180704je/index_e.html

Very cool! I like seeing the lumpiness of the asteroid as a whole and the rocks scattered on its surface.

[insert_name]

1 hour ago, cubinator said:

Very cool! I like seeing the lumpiness of the asteroid as a whole and the rocks scattered on its surface.

yeah, it was also useful in that i hadnt seen that crater just south of the equator towards the east before

[insert_name]

More pictures from up close have been released, as well as a 3d video of the rotation

http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/20180711je/index_e.html

http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/20180710je/index_e.html

[Wjolcz]

That thing on the north pole looks like a solid rock. Also, is it me or does the equatorial ridge look a bit brighter than the rest? Maybe it's just how the light reflects off of it.

[Scotius]

Probably just light. And yeah, both poles might be made of big chunk of rocks. Probably smaller lumps of rubble got shifted by rotation towards the equator early on, while bigger boulders resisted the weak inertial forces and remained in place.

[SuperFastJellyfish]

Awesome