Hayabusa To Begin Long Journey Back to Earth

Sparky writes "Japan is planning to set the Hayabusa spacecraft on a trajectory back to Earth next month after a delay of more than a year, but it's far from certain that it will get back safely. It was supposed to retrieve asteroid debris, but it's thought that a computer error prevented that from happening. A fuel leak means that its chemical thrusters are out of action, and the craft is relying on its weaker ion engines. The journey back will take 3 years, and the capsule will be on Earth in June 2010 — even if it is empty."

Comments

Re:Why not park it in high orbit?

[President_Camacho]

Maybe to test if the re-entry works.

Maybe it'll work as well as the Space Shuttle Columbia.

go4t

[Anonymous Coward]

won'7 7ote in