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Japan's Hayabusa2 Spacecraft Reaches 'Spinning-Top' Space Rock Ryugu (space.com)
Zorro shares a report from Space.com: The Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 has successfully rendezvoused with Ryugu, beginning an 18-month stay at the diamond-shaped asteroid. Launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, in 2014, the probe will poke, prod and even impact the asteroid, deploying a small lander and three rovers. It will then blast an artificial crater to analyze material below the asteroid's surface. After that, the probe will head back to Earth, arriving near the end of 2020 with samples in tow.
Hayabusa2 automatically fired its thrusters this morning (June 27) at 9:35 a.m. local Japanese time (8:45 p.m. on June 26 EDT, or 1245 GMT), bringing the probe within a constant 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the asteroid, according to a statement from JAXA. The Hayabusa2 team will have to select the best place for the probe's lander and rovers based on the space rock's spinning-top-like shape and its rotation; the 3,000-foot-wide (900 meters) asteroid rotates perpendicular to its orbit, completing a full rotation every 7.5 hours.
Hayabusa2 automatically fired its thrusters this morning (June 27) at 9:35 a.m. local Japanese time (8:45 p.m. on June 26 EDT, or 1245 GMT), bringing the probe within a constant 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the asteroid, according to a statement from JAXA. The Hayabusa2 team will have to select the best place for the probe's lander and rovers based on the space rock's spinning-top-like shape and its rotation; the 3,000-foot-wide (900 meters) asteroid rotates perpendicular to its orbit, completing a full rotation every 7.5 hours.
More reliable than a Harley V-Twin!
A few years ago, a Japanese probe missed Venus, an however easier target, so there is some progress that's been made. Then, landing on the space rock is a hard objective, as for instance the ESA's Philae lander failed to complete the mission. Good luck with that - that'd be great if it succeeds and brings back some samples to Earth.
Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
Made in Japan is a rare thing any more. Black more than funky claude?
Better late then never I suppose. I've already seen this, posted it on Facebook and forgot about it days ago
Too bad they didn't go with SpaceX for the launch. They would have saved a few bucks. Plus they would have been able to reuse the rocket and it could have been used in the fleet launch to Mars.
Landing on something that small, in the middle of nowhere, is quite an amazing feat. Because it is so hard to miss, in terms of velocities. Bringing *back* material is just damn amazing.
Yes, those mars landers had great landing procedures. But this here is far more fascinating and alien to me.
Way to go rich people!
Send this to Occasional Cortez, she can use it in a speech. Then tweet Hollywood, I've heard they have some money and power too. Or you're targeting only your favorite rich people, huh?
While not uncommon, It's not the hypocrisy of those who hold those views that is the problem.
Saying we need to achieve some sort of perfect paradise on Earth before we can spend resources on anything else that advances human knowledge is simply saying we can never again advance human knowledge.
What kind of world does that logically lead to?
--- Mercutio was right.
We don't need to achieve paradise first.
We do need to make sure people have the basic necessities. Food. Health Care.
We can do both. In parallel even.
I dunno...a world without men?
(If this is the real Slashdot, somewhere out there somebody is about to mod this comment Insightful)
...with samples in tow
I wonder how long it'll be before sushi dusted with powdered asteroid becomes popular in Japan.
I understand that Amercians can't tell corporations from countries anymore, given that theirs is the former, disguising as the latter.
But they also only *just* got reusable rockets. While the USA had forgotten nealry all of their rockeg knowledge, and had to rely on Russia, of all places, to even keep ISS astronauts alive.
Ariane and Russian rockets were pretty much the only systems constantly delivering stufff into space after the badly designed Space Shuttles fell out of use.
And no, I am not at all against Americans succeeding in space. I love and support and progress that humanity makes in space. These people are scientists and humans first, and citizens of a country second. And I am the type that wishes the best upon even his worst "enemies" anyway. Because otherwise, how will they ever better themselves?
What I can't stand, is that obnoxious arrogant stupidity, that is popular with people like you. Why do you think you need that. Without it, I would side with you far more often!
B4 we destroy each other , space offers a chance to extend survival of advanced intelligence. Space exploration also pushes Science application and understanding which might help improve life for many vs another soft drink or sitcom. Yet Japan will expend an inordinate amount of attention on the Olympics for debatable cost / benefits.
is this the asteroid that looks like the vampire space ship in life force ?