- Credit: JAXA
Word from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is that their Hayabusa spacecraft reentered today over Australia.
Hayabusa’s specially designed return capsule has reportedly landed within the Woomera test range, with its touchdown spot confirmed. A beacon on the landing capsule was self-activated – a device that is assisting ground teams to locate the hardware in the remote landscape.
The seven-year long mission of Hayabusa focused on landing upon and returning samples to Earth from asteroid 25143 Itokawa.
Once the capsule is recovered it will be taken to Japan to be opened by scientists in a special curatorial facility. There is great anticipation that bits and pieces of the asteroid are contained within the capsule.
However, a sampling device on the spacecraft did not operate as planned when the probe came in contact with the asteroid. Researchers remain hopeful that the capsule does indeed retain pieces of the space rock.
Time will tell!
Meanwhile, the blogosphere was full of eye-witness video and photos of Hayabusa’s fireball reentry over Australia.
As example, go to this video from excited sky watchers:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/7634995
UPDATE! Check out this video from NASA’s airborne observatory, flying high above the Earth. Scientists onboard caught this amazing video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpuU1hd_xeY
By Leonard David