NASA Astronomers To Observe Hayabusa's Fiery Homecoming

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday June 9, 2010 @12:13PM from the welcome-back-hotter dept.

coondoggie writes "NASA said that a group of its astronomers will have a front row seat in Australia to watch the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa's high-speed, fiery return to Earth. It is bringing with it a hunk of the asteroid Itokawa. The spacecraft is expected to land in an unpopulated area of Australia at approximately midnight locally, or 7 am PDT, on Sunday, June 13. Some 30 NASA astronomers will be flying onboard a specially equipped DC-8 with instruments that can monitor Hayabusa's reentry."

1 of 142 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Home again! by joh · 2010-06-09 13:10 · Score: 4, Interesting

In case you haven't followed that drama you should do that now. Keeping that bird in control, managing it to do some science and finally getting it back was seriously heroic by JAXA. This was easily the most problem-ridden probe ever making it back (well, almost now). I hope the last leg of that epic journey will go well.