Jump to content

Hayabusa2 launches - tonight!

Streetwind

By Streetwind
in Science & Spaceflight

 Share

Recommended Posts

Streetwind

Streetwind

Posted
Posted

So why do we not have a thread about this yet? It's a pretty darn cool spacecraft! :D

Has a second-generation ion drive. Carries three autonomous surface rovers, a stationary lander and a surface impactor meant to create a fresh artificial crater. The surface sampling mechanism of Hayabusa fame is back as well, this time with the ability to collect three separate samples as opposed to one. All of them wioll be returned to Earth in 2020. There are other science instruments as well, and the total science time at the near-earth asteroid 1999 JU3 will be an impressive 1.5 years.

Long JAXA promotional video with lots of info on the spacecraft, the mission and its international partners.

News article containing links to live launch coverage.

Godspeed, Hayabusa2! Or however you say that in Japanese ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kryten

Kryten

Posted
Posted
Three rovers?! How the hell did they cram them in the ship?

I need to watch that video when I get home.

There's also a tiny camera drone to watch the impact while the main spacecraft is safely at the other side; so a total of six spacecraft (seven if you count the impactor) to one asteroid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Aethon

Aethon

Posted
Posted

Anybody interested in watching with realtime chat may PM Lajoswinkler or I for an invite to the Steam KSP community chat group. We have events set up for many launches (Thanks to Danlion) and enjoy watching together, though it'll be tough to top the Antares launch we all watched in chat. Let's hope this goes better!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
KerbMav

KerbMav

Posted
Posted
Just watched the video, and that is some damn fine engineering. Amazing how much they can fit onto such a tiny craft.

That comment reminds me of an old Sony (?) TV commercial. A Japanese CEO talking about how Japanese people are small, so they are much closer to the technology they are building. The punch line was like "Sony, because the damn Canadians are just to damn big."

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RainDreamer

RainDreamer

Posted
Posted

I am interested in the MASCOT rover they got with them too. It is so tiny and cute, but tough, being able to hard landing on the surface of the asteroid after being dropped from 100m then right itself up. It can even jump around using internal motors/weights to throw itself away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
magnemoe

magnemoe

Posted
Posted
Wow, so much stuff in such a small and light probe (especialy compared to the gigantig rosetta probe). Truly an awesome piece of technology.

yes, project reminds me of some of my more insane KSP projects however for them the payloads are far larger, the low gravity of the asteroid let you do stuff like this.

has used spotting probes to test out landing sites and used them to aim after.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Spark Plug

Spark Plug

Posted
Posted

Eeeyup, JAXA has got some impressive craft for a relatively small space program. I remember how the museums I visited in Japan always showed off their rocket launches, even if they were all unmanned flights. Apparently, they manage to build so small because their design approach starts with small prototypes that are scaled up as needed. This is in contrast to, say, Russia, who attempt to optimize their large launcher rockets to be more efficient.

Anyway, enough gushing, check out my cool souvenirs! :cool:

e5AXR2w.jpg?1

From left to right, that's an H-IIB rocket (their heavy lifter), a Japanese ISS astronaut with extravehicular maneuvering unit, and the recent Epsilon launch vehicle. Detailed info here if you'd like: http://global.jaxa.jp/projects/rockets/index.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 months later...
Frida Space

Frida Space

Posted
Posted

http://global.jaxa.jp/press/2015/03/20150303_hayabusa2.html

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

As of 2: 00 p.m. on March 3, 2015 (JST)

Distance from Sun 162,450,000 km

Distance from Earth 35,900,000 km

Navigation speed 27.36 km/s

The Asteroid Explorer "Hayabusa2" completed its initial functional confirmation period on March 2, 2015, as all scheduled checkout and evaluation of acquired data were completed. The explorer has been under inspection for about three months after its launch on Dec. 3, 2014.

The Hayabusa2 is moving to the cruising phase while heading to the asteroid "1999 JU3" on March 3. It will be under preparatory operation for an Earth swing-by scheduled in Nov. or Dec., 2015.

We plan to increase the cruising speed of the explorer (60 m/sec.) by operating two ion engines twice (in total about 600 hours or 25 days) until the Earth swing-by. For the first operation, we will gradually increase the time duration of continuous ion-engine operation from March 3, and will operate the engines for about 400 hours within March. The second operation is scheduled in early June.

*Please refer to the attached mission schedule.

The Hayabusa2 is in good health

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 months later...
Frida Space

Frida Space

Posted
Posted (edited)

Didn't really know where to put it... so I'll just post it here.

PROCYON, the microsatellite that launched with Hayabusa 2 and was bound to encounter the first binary asteroid ever discovered (2000 DP107) in May 2016 won't make it to its destination, after a piece of metal stuck between two grids rendered its ion engine useless in March. The satellite will continue its scientific measurements and technological demonstrations as it heads to encounter Earth in December.

Edited by Frida Space
Link to comment
Share on other sites
This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...