Hayabusa Post-Landing & Science Results Options

[nprev]

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.

[nprev]

Short Aviation Week article today. Highlight: It may take up to six months to determine if the capsule contains any material from Itokawa.

[pandaneko]

Short Aviation Week article today. Highlight: It may take up to six months to determine if the capsule contains any material from Itokawa.

The Asahi Shimun newspaper carried an article today. Gists of what it said are as follows.

1. JAXA had placed equal priorities on finding the capsule and the heat shield.
2. Neither NASA nor ESA had been willing to discuss details of heat shields for potential millitary uses.
3. The capsule was found 1.1 km away from the targeted landing position and the heat shield 5 km away from it.

4. The ablator material was found to have been evenly melted and enough thickess of it still existed.
5. Initial investigation did not find partciles larger than 1 mm, and their minimum expectation is 0.003 mm.
6. Innner container (sampling container) was extracted and showered by shots of dry ice and then plasma cleaned so that a thin layer was removed.

7. The inner container will be brought into a clean room and tilted so that a rubber spatuler can scrape out (seems rather primitive to me) what may be inside. What are found will be treated with a thin needle with static electricity under microscope.
8. If there are lots of them then they will know immediately that they are from Itokawa. However, if there are only a few,
9. It will take up to 6 months to determine that they are not of Earth origin.

10. Samples, if any are found, will be distributed to 10 universities across the world.


This last one, it differes from the info I got earlier. Mt earlier info said "best proposals from worldover". Who is telling the truth...

Pandaneko

[pandaneko]

The Asahi Shimun newspaper carried an article today. Gists of what it said are as follows.

6. Innner container (sampling container) was extracted and showered by shots of dry ice and then plasma cleaned so that a thin outer layer was removed.

7. The inner container will be brought into a clean room and tilted so that a rubber spatuler can scrape out (seems rather primitive to me) what may be inside. What are found will be treated with a thin needle with static electricity under microscope.

Pandaneko

I have had a look at JAXA English web pages prior to this posting and there is not this one yet carried.

The inner container was being opened today (24 June, JST) at ISAS in the presence of NASA and other overseas scientists. It will take one week to find out what may be inside the container.

I cannot wait to hear what they have to say! What was it like when the Earth was born! [please review section 1.3 - Admin ]

Pandaneko