Mission: Hayabusa 2 Options

[punkboi]

You can now submit your name on the Japanese version of JAXA's Hayabusa 2 page:

http://153.122.7.196/form/

(Deadline: Juy 16 - 12:00 PM JST)

The English version should be up on The Planetary Society's website this Saturday (April 13)

[punkboi]

You can now submit your name on The Planetary Society's website:

http://www.planetary.org/get-involved/messages/hayabusa-2/

[pandaneko]

I have checked with JAXA HP in English, but I could not find immediately if what follows is actually carried there. So, just in case, what follows is from Nihon Keizai Shimbun dated 23 April.

"JAXA are inviting 2 piggy-back interplanetary space probes:

JAXA announced on 23 April that they will invite 2 piggy-backs to be launched with Hayabusa 2 on their H2A rocket. Invitation period is by the end of May and selection will be made at the end of June. 2 space probes of each less than 50 kg are invited. Hayabusa 2 itself will weigh 600 kg."

This makes me think and wonder as follows.

1. Can anybody make proposals so quickly?
2. This must be just powdering operation and the infomation has been circulating within intimate circles, both domestic and intrernational, for a long time.

P

[stone]

" 2 piggy-backs to be launched with Hayabusa 2 "

I thought the ATOM (Mars aero-capture mission ) would be one of those missions?
I read something about it in 2012.

[Paolo]

according to this presentation (undated but named "fall 2012")

Mars aero-capture mission ATOM -> Delayed
Phase-A study continues, but launch with Hayabusa-2 became difficult.

[TheAnt]

1. Can anybody make proposals so quickly?

I honestly don't think so, just a proposal can take up to a year to get a heads up. Then they would have to build it.

Even if some agency or university were sitting on one suitable unlaunched craft/probe, they would have to practically carry it out the door directly for intergation and testing.
So it sound like a nice offer, though one without actual candidates, now that delays have created a vacant spot - perhaps even two.

[Explorer1]

Is it also too late to use those 50 kilos on Hayabusa 2 itself, somehow? Or is this offer specifically for other craft on the same launcher? I mean it would be a waste to just let an opportunity like this go.

[nprev]

Sure, but it would be a risk to rush a development & integration effort with too little time for testing before the launch date. Let's see what they do.

[Paolo]

for more info on the Mars aerocapture demonstrator see this JAXA presentation

[vjkane]

Aviation Week and Space Technology reports that Japan will be cutting back on its space plans and, "But former high-priority goals to promote environmental monitoring, human space activities and putting robots on the Moon are now much lower priorities and will have to fight for funding." I don't know how this will affect Mars plans. Hayabusa-type missions are apparently still planned.