Hayabusa Post-Landing & Science Results Options

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The capsule began its return to Japan a few moments ago as I write this. Seems like a good time to start a new topic for the much-anticipated final results of this epic mission.

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Pandaneko, I'm not aware of any approved NASA sample return missions. Your source may have been referring to the OSIRIS-REX proposal, which is one of three finalists for the next New Frontiers mission.

I'm not sure when the final selection will be made, but even if it makes the cut I doubt it will fly much before 2014 or so.

EDIT: Whups. I should read the whole article before posting. The final selection will be made in mid-2011, and the chosen project has to launch by 30 Dec 2018.

EDIT2: This English article (dated 19 Jun) from Asahi Shimbun does mention that JAXA was going to X-ray the capsule to 'look for internal damage'. Might be a translation difficulty, or the <1 mm constraint on upper particle size might have been an ancilliary finding.

[pandaneko]

Pandaneko, I'm not aware of any approved NASA sample return missions. Your source may have been referring to the OSIRIS-REX proposal, which is one of three finalists for the next New Frontiers mission.

I'm not sure when the final selection will be made, but even if it makes the cut I doubt it will fly much before 2014 or so.

EDIT: Whups. I should read the whole article before posting. The final selection will be made in mid-2011, and the chosen project has to launch by 30 Dec 2018.

EDIT2: This English article (dated 19 Jun) from Asahi Shimbun does mention that JAXA was going to X-ray the capsule to 'look for internal damage'. Might be a translation difficulty, or the <1 mm constraint on upper particle size might have been an ancilliary finding.

I feel very sad to know that NASA may not make it while I am alive..., if this were right.

Anyway, let your wife see what follows.

http://www.asahi.com/special/space/TKY201006180486.html

I did try to find the physical newspaper with that article, but I could not find it. My wife might have disposed of it with other papers by now. So, I tried the Asahi website.

It does say what I posted, but I cannnot find JAXA comments with it. Perhaps, web versions may be shortened?

What I think happened may be something like this. They wanted to check out on the damage, as soon as possible, that might have been done to the capsule and that probably did not need high resolution.

And yet, they at the same time wanted to have a quick look in with that low resolution X-ray (I would do that!) before full investigation.

Liquid washing might be the most conclusive option..., not sure...

Pandaneko