Mission: Hayabusa 2 Options

[spdf]

JAXA wants to continue with Hayabusa 2. However there is/was a huge fight about the budget. Main problem was the budget for the launch vehicle. 2 months ago or so there was a report which said, that JAXA had to find another launch vehicle or the project gets cancelled. Now the Italian space agency played saviour and overed the VEGA. So finally we might see another Hayabusa in 2011.


It was mentioned here:
http://www.jspec.jaxa.jp/080110Final_IPEWG-ProgramBook.pdf

[Paolo]

Hayabusa 2 will be accompanied in solar orbit by two microspacecraft, PROCYON and Artsat 2 and possibly also by Shin'en 2.
The most interesting of the bunch is PROCYON which, among other things, will demonstrate imaging techniques during at least one but possibly up to three close flybys of small NEOs
a presentation of the mission and spacecraft is available here

[pandaneko]

Hayabusa 2 will be accompanied in solar orbit by two microspacecraft, PROCYON and Artsat 2 and possibly also by Shin'en 2.
The most interesting of the bunch is PROCYON which, among other things, will demonstrate imaging techniques during at least one but possibly up to three close flybys of small NEOs
a presentation of the mission and spacecraft is available here

Paolo, thanks again for this. Do we know anything more about Artsat 2. If 2 was there 1? What was it?
Also, Is the launcher of Hayabusa 2 still going to be H2A? I am confused because I realised during
the course of my translation that they may be using this Epsilon.

As far as I know its first launch was some time last year and I am not too sure if it is reliable.
Again, it is not that important, and I am only curiious. P

[Paolo]

Paolo, thanks again for this. Do we know anything more about Artsat 2. If 2 was there 1? What was it?

pandaneko, Artsat 1 was launched in February as a secondary payload in Earth orbit. they have a good Facebook page

[pandaneko]

This really is just in case what follows has evaded the attention of colleagues so far.
I have come across an interesting short video describing activities for MASCOT.
Its URL is as follows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbLmmvki_Bo

It is all German and yet it gives us an insight into the workings of this lander.
Actually, if you come to think about it this is all the more interesting because
with Hayabusa we had to imagine what the landing site looked like.

However, MASCOT will give us actual images and I am already very exited about this prospect. P