Overview

The Hayabusa mission, led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), aimed to return samples from the near-Earth asteroid (25143) Itokawa. The spacecraft "Hayabusa" was launched on May 19, 2003, by Japan's M-V-5 rocket. Hayabusa arrived at Itokawa in September 2005 and landed on the asteroid in November 2005. After departing from Itokawa in April 2007, the spacecraft returned to Earth, successfully delivering its capsule to the Woomera Desert in Australia on June 13, 2010.

Hayabusa was designed to perform detailed observations of Itokawa's surface and collect samples. The spacecraft measured approximately 1.5 meters in length, 1.0 meters in width, and 1.1 meters in height, with a weight of about 510 kilograms. It was equipped with solar panels and navigated through space to reach the asteroid.

Observation Instruments

AMICA (Asteroid Multiband Imaging Camera)

AMICA is a multiband imaging camera used to capture detailed images of Itokawa's surface. This camera operated across visible to near-infrared wavelengths, analyzing the terrain and material distribution. The data from AMICA helped reveal Itokawa's geological features and physical properties.

NIRS (Near Infrared Spectrometer)

NIRS is a near-infrared spectrometer designed to acquire reflectance spectra of Itokawa's surface materials. Operating in the wavelength range of 850 nm to 2100 nm, NIRS detected absorption bands of minerals like olivine and pyroxene. This instrument aimed to investigate the mineral composition of Itokawa's surface materials and their relationship to meteorites.

LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)

LIDAR is a laser-based device used to measure distances to Itokawa's surface. By emitting laser pulses and measuring their reflection time, LIDAR mapped the surface's altitude and topography with high precision. This data was crucial for creating a three-dimensional terrain model of Itokawa, aiding in the selection of landing sites and spacecraft navigation.

XRS (X-ray Spectrometer)

XRS is an X-ray spectrometer used to study the elemental composition of Itokawa's surface materials. It detected secondary X-rays emitted when solar X-rays hit the surface, analyzing the characteristic energies of different elements. This provided insights into the distribution of elements on Itokawa's surface and its formation and evolutionary processes.

Achievements

The Hayabusa mission was the world's first successful asteroid sample return mission. The samples brought back from Itokawa have been extensively analyzed on Earth, providing valuable information about the composition and formation processes of asteroids. The technical success of the Hayabusa mission also provided important knowledge and experience for future missions.

Mission overview paper

• Kawaguchi, J. et al. (2008) Acta Astronautica - Hayabusa—Its technology and science accomplishment summary and Hayabusa-2
• Yano, H. et al. (2006) Science - Touchdown of the Hayabusa Spacecraft at the Muses Sea on Itokawa

Instrument paper

• Nakamura, T. et al. (2011) Earth Planets Space - Multi-band imaging camera and its sciences for the Japanese near-earth asteroid mission MUSES-C
• Abe, M. et al. (2004) 35th Lunar and planetary Science Conference - Characteristics and current status of near infrared spectrometer for Hayabusa mission
• Mukai, T. et al. (2002) Advances in Space Research - Detection of mass, shape and surface roughness of target asteroid of MUSES-C by LIDAR
• Okada, T. et al. (2000) Advances in Space Research - X-ray fluorescence spectrometer onboard Muses-C