Hayabusa Successfully Collects an Asteroid Sample

[Fraser]

SUMMARY: Japan's asteroid explorer, Hayabusa, successfully touched down onto the surface of asteroid Itokawa Saturday for the second time in a week, and the Japanese Agency announced that it's clutching a sample of material. The spacecraft will now begin the long journey back to Earth, and it all goes well, its sample capsule should land in the Australian outback in June 2007. This will be the first time material from an asteroid will ever be sampled back here on the Earth.

View full article (http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/jaxa_hayabusa_sample_success.html)
What do you think about this story? post your comments below.

[Spacemad]

My hearty congratulations to the Japanese team in getting Hayabusa to the asteroid & collecting the samples of dust to return to Earth in June next year.

[Eroica]

お祝い、日本 :clap:

Safe journey home, Hayabusa!

[TuTone]

Will NASA be able to get any samples from Hayabusa/Japan?

[Dave Mitsky]

Has the problem with the probe's thruster been fixed?

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/asteroid-05zg.html

Dave Mitsky

[Spacemad]

お祝い、日本 :clap:

Safe journey home, Hayabusa!

Yes, indeed safe journey home, Hayabusa! We look forward to exmining those few precious grammes of asteroidal material. :)