[X] My Assistant

[dilo]

Here a time lapse animation based on the Live page.
I enhanced and also magnified some frames, tryng to have Hayabusa shadow always in the center... then made proportional time intervals (1sec of animation correspond to 200min of real time).

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

I've been running the more recent entries from the Smatsu Blog through BabelFish to try to find out what's now happening. I haven't gotten anything meaningful yet, except for one possible indication that Minerva was released at 100 meters altitude. However, I can't resist listing the Babelfish translation of a comment by one of his readers:

"It depends, on the rear end lover of the your ｻ 'rear end' from 'rear end' rear end lover, the sight for the rear end lover! The continuation is read"

Hello, young rear end lovers, wherever you are... I don't know whether this was sexual spam, or just a very peculiar translation.

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

Yep, it was sexual spam. (Let me add that the effect of a photo gallery of several dozen assorted female rear ends without anything else attached to any of them is distinctly unsettling.) As for the mission itself, still no more news yet.

[odave]

go to the bottom of the page... the screen seen closer up - it's a 3D trajectory diagram, not an image from the spacecraft.

Yep, another case of over-processing a mass of pixels and trying to see something that's not there

What can I say, I was bored

[The Singing Badg...]

The following has been posted on Wikipedia - I dunno how accurate this is, but it sounds like they may have lost Minerva.


On [[November 12]], ''Hayabusa'' closed in to 55m from asteroid surface. MINERVA lander release command was sent, but before the command reached to ''Hayabusa'', the altitude measured 44m and collision avoidance sequence started. This made the release of MINERVA to be during uprising move and higher altitude than intended. Early inspection of data tells that MINERVA was not dropped onto the asteroid surface.

http://www.isas.ac.jp/e/index.shtml
http://www.isas.ac.jp/j/snews/2005/1112.shtml
http://smatsu.air-nifty.com/lbyd/2005/11/11128_2317.html

(links in Japanese)

[odave]

http://www.isas.ac.jp/e/index.shtml

From the Google translation of that link:

Until the separation " of Minerva " is done and is really separated, through ground control center, folds, in over ten minutes " it is quick the ぶ ", at the point in time when the position on the I To matte surface does, is separated the drift, as for altitude reaching to approximately 200m vicinity, regrettable as for leaving " Minerva " on the I To matte surface it seems that it is not possible.

Furthermore, " Minerva ", after that continuing, " is quick the ぶ ", with we continue to maintain communication, also circumstance of the on-board equipment is grasped. It is the schedule where one Japan and China, furthermore it examines, continues and continues to take the contact in detail. Details do to know, are to be, we communicate freshly.

Which I take to mean they missed the surface, but are in contact with Minerva. I suppose that if it's not tumbling, and is pointed in a fortuitous direction, we could still get some images from Minerva floating over Itokawa.

Leave it to Murphy-san

[The Singing Badg...]

If Minerva was released from only 200m, will it eventually drift down to the surface? Or is the asteroid's gravity too negligible even for that?

[helvick]

If Minerva was released from only 200m, will it eventually drift down to the surface? Or is the asteroid's gravity too negligible even for that?

I think the main problem is that if it was released when Hayabusa was ascending it could well be travelling in excess of the escape velocity or at least fast enough to end up in orbit for quite some time rather than travelling on a trajectory that would get it to the surface. If true it's a real pity, Minerva has been the part of the mission I was most looking forward to even if it is technically one of the minor aspects. I'm sure someone here can work out what that might be.

[djellison]

The escape velocity is very low - GUTTING if they managed to fire Minerva off into space

I wonder, if perhaps it's just on an odd looping trajectory that may land, but only after some time - how long will Hayabusa get a good relay link to Minerva after leaving Itokawa

Doug

[helvick]

I wonder, if perhaps it's just on an odd looping trajectory that may land, but only after some time - how long will Hayabusa get a good relay link to Minerva after leaving Itokawa

Does anyone have any information on Minerva's power and radio system? Is there any chance of it staying alive and that DTE communications could be used if it ends up "landing" in a couple of months?

[Rakhir]

Does anyone have any information on Minerva's power and radio system? Is there any chance of it staying alive and that DTE communications could be used if it ends up "landing" in a couple of months?

Minerva is powered by solar cells (between 1.6 V and 2.2 W at 1 AU).
Minerva minimal life objective is at least 72h but it could last more.

Minerva transmitter was only designed to communicate with Hayabusa (9600 bps) at about 20 km max.

Rakhir

[RNeuhaus]

http://jaxa.tv/live.asx

From here, it is impossible to locate the URL of Hayabusa's descending media. Is possible that you save it and post it on the www.unmannedspaceflight.com?

Rodolfo

[djellison]

Unfortunately, it's streaming - so not easily saveable.

To be honest, it wasnt worth watching anyway - a lot lot more info just refreshing the webpage every now and again instead.

Doug

[Rakhir]

I am surprised that the software driving the release of Minerva did not include any control to prevent the loss of the rover if some target conditions are not met.

Ex : target range of altitude and vertical speed, tolerance on Hayabusa attitude compared to Itokawa surface or abort of the release during an ascent phase.

Rakhir

[Sym05]

Babelfish translation of:
http://5thstar.air-nifty.com/blog/2005/11/post_3a7f.html

http://world.altavista.com/babelfish/trurl...fpost_3a7f.html

Minerva it does not land,
12th 3:8 PM in, JAXA/ISAS is quick from the ground the ぶ, directing command of Minerva discharge, it transmitted, but it is quick 16 minutes later the ぶ, receiving command, when discharging Minerva, it is quick the ぶ, changing to rise, as for Minerva the pattern which does not land to イトカワ. Don't you think? the ざ it is, it is! !