Posted on 11/29/2005 6:51:46 AM PST by The_Victor
TOKYO - A Japanese spacecraft that landed on an asteroid to collect surface samples for analysis has developed trouble with its thruster system, the nation's space agency said Tuesday.
The problem is the latest facing Japan's attempt to complete the world's first two-way trip to an asteroid, following earlier problems with the probe's gyroscopes and two botched practice landings.
The Hayabusa probe appeared to have touched down Saturday, just long enough to collect powder from the asteroid's surface and lift off again to return to Earth.
But it soon began shaking due to a gas leak from a thruster, and that continued through Tuesday, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said on its Web site.
Communications also were briefly lost before being restored.
"Judging from the current circumstances, a certain amount of time will be needed to resume the probe's operations," JAXA said.
The agency is trying to fix the problem by a December deadline to begin the craft's 180-million-mile journey home. The Kyodo News agency said failure to remedy the glitch may make the probe's return impossible.
Hayabusa was launched in May 2003.
On top of recovering samples from the asteroid Itokawa, the probe also is testing a new type of ion engine that uses an electric field to accelerate positive ions to a high velocity. It also swung by Earth for a gravity assist that propelled the probe toward Itokawa.
The Hayabusa mission is part of Japan's efforts to expand its space exploration program. Earlier this year, JAXA said it would send its first astronauts into space and set up a base on the moon by 2025.
But the agency has recently suffered a series of setbacks. A moon probe originally scheduled for launch in 2005 has been delayed, while the agency abandoned a mission to Mars two years ago after a probe moved off course.
If all goes well with Hayabusa, it will be the first time a probe returns to Earth with samples from an asteroid, according to JAXA. A
Look, we're discussing the probe thrusters here. Don't go getting sidetracked on "accelerated growth" and "strange substances."
Earth: 0 for 2 now....
But is asteroid composed of semi-solid mucoid particulates?
Interaction of thruster and asteroid body can lead to unintended consequences. Also would hate to think that asteroid inhabitants would mistake japanese probe for alien kidnappers. Also hope probe did not do a cartman on them.
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