Hayabusa 2 on its way back to earth

[insert_name]

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/06/hayabusa2-asteroid-ryugu-sample-return/

The Japanese Hayabusa 2 spacecraft arrives on the 27th

Edited November 13, 2019 by insert_name
updated title

[YNM]

Waiting for all their miniaturized witchcraft to work !

[kerbiloid]

Spoiler

Let's hope this time they didn't forget to put onboard some mascot, Ryugu-chan.

 

[ARS]

Waiting for the glorious reentry!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Hayabusa_reentry_from_Ames_Research_2010-06-13.ogv

Edited June 16, 2018 by ARS

[insert_name]

Rotation and some surface features have been observed

http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/20180616je/index_e.html

[insert_name]

http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/20180619je/index_e.html

some more stills were released, craters and light and dark regions can be seen, it looks a lot like Bennu

Edited June 20, 2018 by insert_name

[_Augustus_]

5 hours ago, insert_name said:

http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/topics/20180619je/index_e.html

some more stills were released, craters and light and dark regions can be seen, it looks a lot like Bennu

Look's like the "artists' impressions" of Bennu.......

[insert_name]

44 minutes ago, _Augustus_ said:

Look's like the "artists' impressions" of Bennu.......

Those are based on radar observations from arecibo, so fairly credible

[kerbiloid]

Spoiler

More clear photo.

 

[Nivee~]

30 minutes ago, kerbiloid said:

  Hide contents

More clear photo.

 

GASP!!!!! HERESY!!!!  

My first thought was, "Hey! How is the sand standing upright? Shouldn't it fall..O wait, theres a stone underneath.."  

[Gargamel]

IN the one article on the BBC I was reading, I think it stated the target is in a retrograde solar orbit?  They kinda glossed over that fact, but to me, that would not make this an ideal target.  Have I been misinformed? 

[insert_name]

4 hours ago, Gargamel said:

IN the one article on the BBC I was reading, I think it stated the target is in a retrograde solar orbit?  They kinda glossed over that fact, but to me, that would not make this an ideal target.  Have I been misinformed? 

It is rotating retrograde, not orbiting

More images released, boulders are now visible

[SuperFastJellyfish]

It's rotating about it's axis retrograde.

Here's its orbit:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:.Animation_of_Hayabusa2_orbit.gif

Spoiler

 

 

Edited June 21, 2018 by SuperFastJellyfish
bah, Ninja'd. :) also, the spoiler tag won't delete

[Scotius]

It looks a bit like spinning top. That equatorial ridge is loose-ish gravel shifted by centrifugal force perhaps?

[sh1pman]

BTW, are there any known objects in retrograde solar orbit?

[kerbiloid]

22 minutes ago, Scotius said:

That equatorial ridge is loose-ish gravel shifted by centrifugal force perhaps?

Or not.

Spoiler

 

 

[_Augustus_]

36 minutes ago, sh1pman said:

BTW, are there any known objects in retrograde solar orbit?

Yes.

[YNM]

Can't wait for all the miniaturized probes to work.

Everyone's spacecraft is going bigger - except for Japan. It gets smaller and more sophisticated.

[Wjolcz]

1 hour ago, sh1pman said:

BTW, are there any known objects in retrograde solar orbit?

There's that one zipping by Jupiter in a resonanse orbit. It was likely captured soon after the solar system had formed. Scott Manley made a video about it.

[ProtoJeb21]

Here’s a nice article about Hayabusa 2 (and Osiris-Rex as well). I never knew how closely the teams for the two spacecrafts were working together, and I can’t wait to see what cool discoveries Hayabusa 2 is able to uncover in the next two months.

https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/06/20/asteroid-ryugu-revealed-by-approaching-japanese-spacecraft/

Edited June 21, 2018 by ProtoJeb21

[kerbiloid]

4 hours ago, sh1pman said:

BTW, are there any known objects in retrograde solar orbit?

Comets. Some of them.

[insert_name]

The north pole almost looks like a terrain glitch

[ProtoJeb21]

36 minutes ago, insert_name said:

The north pole almost looks like a terrain glitch

Now that you pointed it out, it does look like a broken pointy pole of a KSP/Koperncius planet. Wonder what it actually is. 

[kerbiloid]

Ryuguhole

[Brotoro]

13 hours ago, sh1pman said:

BTW, are there any known objects in retrograde solar orbit?

Halley's Comet is probably the most famous object that revolves around the Sun in a retrograde orbit.

Edited June 22, 2018 by Brotoro