Hayabusa returns from asteroid Itokawa 2010

Hayabusa (not to be confused with Hayabusa 2) returned to Earth after visiting the near-Earth asteroid Itokawa, June 13, 2010.  Launched in 2003, it was the first spacecraft designed to land on an asteroid and then take off again.  

Scientists at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) studied particles taken from Itokawa, most of which were about 10 micrometers in size.  They determined that the grains were extraterrestrial in origin, meaning they resembled meteorites and asteroids, rather than known rocks from Earth. 

OSIRIS-REx returns to Earth with samples from asteroid Bennu

NASA's first asteroid retrieval mission has been successfully completed with the sample return capsule from OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security - Regolith Explorer), which landed in the Utah desert near Salt Lake City yesterday.

The craft returned about 250 g of asteroid material, collected from asteroid Bennu in October 2020.  The capsule and its contents have been secured in a cleanroom facility, awaiting analysis.  Although a small amount, it will provide material for years of research to come.

After releasing its sample capsule, OSIRIS-REx became OSIRIS-APEX (APophis Explorer) and will go on a mission to observe 99942 Apophis, a near-Earth asteroid and potentially dangerous object in April 2029, when the asteroid makes a very close pass to Earth on the 13th.

What happened to NASA's tractor beam?

Eight years ago, I posted a link about NASA entering into a partnership with Arx Pax, inventor of hover engine technology, to develop a tractor beam, which have been a part of science fiction for decades.  It seemed as if it was to become reality.  I wanted to see how far they have come along, but the original link I posted to Arx Pax's website does not work any more. A search of NASA's website yields no results for 'Arx Pax'. 

NASA is now starting a program Planetary Defense Strategy and Action Plan, to deal with the threat of near Earth objects (NEO).  The program includes tasks for identifying NEOs and determining which ones might pose a danger to Earth.  Its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) last year demonstrated that NASA can alter the trajectory of an asteroid.  They plan to develop 'gravity tractors' but I haven't been able to find any research on this.

I did find an article on-line about a group at University of Colorado at Boulder that is working on a tractor beam in an effort to clean up space debris.  There is a lot of space junk in orbit up there and collisions create more junk.  They are basing their research on the Coulombe force, where objects of opposite charges attract each other, and objects with the same charge repel each other.  

Read more about their research below:

https://www.universetoday.com/161783/researchers-are-working-on-a-tractor-beam-system-for-space/

Hayabusa 2 capsule returns to Earth 2020

The surface of Ryugu

Hayabusa 2, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) probe launched in 2014, returned to Earth with samples from near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu December 5, 2020.  After its sampling mission was completed in November 2019, Hayabusa 2 fired its ion engines and returned to Earth.

It released the sample capsule on December 5, 2020 and the capsule landed at the Woomera Test Range in Australia.  JAXA has shared a portion of the samples with NASA and NASA will share samples from asteroid Bennu, when OSIRIS-REx returns in 2023.

NASA's DART's Impacts with asteroid Dimorphos

Yesterday evening, September 26, 2022, NASA successfully crashed its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) with Dimorphos, a moon of the minor-planet asteroid Didymos. The test is designed to determine if a spacecraft can deflect an asteroid via a transfer of momentum, as part of a planetary defense against near-Earth objects.  Dimorphos was chosen since it does not pose a threat to Earth. 

The project began as a collaboration between NASA and ESA, named Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) involving two separate spacecraft.  The ESA spacecraft AIM was to have launched in December 2020 but the project was cancelled.  It has been replaced by Hera to study the results of DART's impact on Dimorphos. Hera is expected to arrive in the Didymos system in 2026.

Dimorphos has a diameter of about 560 feet and was discovered in 2003.

Hayabusa, spacecraft to Itokawa, launched 2003

Hayabusa, launched May 9, 2003, was a spacecraft developed by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency to the near-Earth asteroid Itokawa.  It arrived at Itokawa in September 2005.  It studied the asteroid for two months, landing in November.    It collected a few grains from the asteroid's surface and returned to Earth in June 2010.

NEAR-Shoemaker, spacecraft to Eros, launched 1996

The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezous-Shoemaker (NEAR Shoemaker), launched February 17, 1996, is the first spacecraft to touchdown on an asteroid. On its way to the near-Earth object Eros, the spacecraft passed by Mathilde, an asteroid approximately 50 km in diameter, and took pictures of nearly 60% of its surface.

Orbital insertion above Eros occurred in February 2000, after a near-catastrophic event back in December 1998, during which the spacecraft was nearly lost. Starting January 2001, the spacecraft began a series of close passes to the surface and then made a slow, controlled descent to the surface, landing on February 12, 2001 near the saddle-shaped feature Himeros. 

NASA scientists were amazed to discover NEAR Shoemaker had survived the landing and was operational.  The craft continued to send signals until February 28, when it was shut down.  A final attempt to contact the probe on December 10, 2002 was unsuccessful.

Hayabusa 2, spacecraft to asteroid Ryugu, launched 2014

Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency launched the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft to the near-Earth asteroid 162173 Ryugu December 3, 2014.  It rendezvoused with the asteroid in June 2018 and ejected two rovers to the surface in September 2018. It departed Ryugu in November 2019 and expected to return to Earth with samples in late 2020.

NEAR Shoemaker enters orbit around Eros 2000

Launched February 17, 1996, the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous - Shoemaker (NEAR Shoemaker) entered orbit around the asteroid Eros February 14, 2000.  It is the first time a spacecraft had achieved orbit around an asteroid.

A year later, on February 12, 2001, NEAR Shoemaker touched down on the surface of Eros. It transmitted data until February 28 when the last signals were received.  NASA tried to communicate with the spacecraft on December 10, 2002 but was unsuccessful.

OSIRIS-REx is orbiting Bennu

About 2:40-ish this afternoon, NASA's OSIRIS-REx entered orbit around Near-Earth Object asteroid Bennu.  Its name is the anagram of Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer.

It was launched in September 2016 and reached the asteroid earlier this month.  Bennu is the smallest body to be orbited by a spacecraft.  Bennu is only about 492 m or 1600 ft in diameter, about the height of the Empire State Building.

OSIRIS-REx will spend some time analyzing the surface and will return to Earth with a sample from the asteroid in September 2023.

JAXA's MINERVA II 1 has released its rovers to Ryugu

Asteroid Ryugu from MINERVA II 1

Just a few hours ago, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed that the MINERVA II 1( Micro-Nano Experimental Robot Vehicle for the Asteroid) has released its two rovers, ROVER-1A and ROVER-1B to explore the Near-Earth Object/Asteroid Ryugu. 

Contact has been lost with MINERVA but JAXA figures it is due  to the rotation of the asteroid.  Hopefully, they will re-establish contact soon.

Hayabusa releases first pictures of near-Earth asteroid Itokawa 2005

Near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa

Hayabusa, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's space probe, sent back its first pictures of near-Earth asteroid Itokawa (officially 25143 Itokawa) August 14, 2005.  It wouldn't arrive in the vicinity of the asteroid until September 12 but it took some startling and interesting images. 

Near-Earth objects, such as Itokawa, are those small solar system bodies whose orbits can bring it into close proximity to Earth.  Itokawa is classified as a Potentially Hazardous Object (PHO), which means its orbit can bring it exceptionally close to Earth, and large enough to cause significant regional damage if it impacts Earth.

One small crater has been named Laurel, after Laurel, Maryland, just up the road from here, where APL/JHU is located.

JAXA has identified a number of surface features.

 Itokawa's largest rock, about 50 m long.

The Muses Sea - a uniquely smooth area on Itokawa's surface.

The Woomera Desert

Itokawa from a different angle.