PROCYON, Small satellite asteroid flyby launched with Hayabusa 2 Options

[Explorer1]

PROCYON is in the right trajectory too; the initial operations phase has begun.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Flight_S...ROCYON_999.html

[Paolo]

from this image of the press event, flyby would be on 12 May 2016
http://image.itmedia.co.jp/mn/articles/150...hi_P1300584.jpg
there is also a short article here, but with little or no new informations

[pandaneko]

Thanks, Paolo and Katodomo

What follows has been extracted from Katodomo's Senews and Paolo's Monoist. Only portions
new to me.

The target of PROCYON is now set to "2000 DP107" which is a doublet. 800m and 300m.
Consequently, PROCYON will not be able to return to near earth orbiut to perform a
swingby. So, only chance of asteroid approach. The earth swingby is December 2015 and
asteroid passby is May 2016.

Norminal mission has been accomplished. Solar pannels are OK, temps are OK,
triaxial control is OK. It is very much alive.

Ion engine stopped in midMarch 2015, trying to restart, but no indication yet of
recovery at the moment.

The cause of this has not been identified yet, but the most likely reason is thought to be
that minute metal piece has migrated into the gap between the 2 ion grids of the ion source.

Therefore, several options have been identified, as follows.

1. Give this grid a thermal cycle of expansion and contraction.
2. Give the probe an acceleration and rotate, stop, rotate, stop etc.
3. Apply high voltage and brun out the meal piece.
　
Theseoptions will be tried carefully. However, the deadline for recovery is currently
end April 2015 in time for the earth swingby in December 2015. This deadline is
also being re-evaluated for accuracy.

In the meantime, geo-corona image aqquisition has been successful.
The image has not been made available as theses are being written at the moment.

Above are the gists of what are available at the moment. P