Sampling Strategy and Curation Plan of "Hayabusa" Asteroid Sample Return MissionOn the 9th May 2003 JST, Japanese spacecraft MUSES-C was successfully launched from Uchinoura. The spacecraft was directly inserted to interplanetary trajectory and renamed as Hayabusa , or "Falcon" to be the world s first sample return spacecraft to a near Earth asteroid (NEA). The NEA (25143)Itokawa (formerly known as "1998SF36") is its mission target. Its orbital and physical characteristics were well observed; the size is (490 +/- 100)x (250 +/- 55)x(180 +/- 50) m with about 12-hour rotation period. It has a red-sloped S(IV)-type spectrum with strong 1- and 2-micron absorption bands, analogous to ordinary LL chondrites with space weathering effect. Assuming its bulk density, the surface gravity level of Itokawa is in the order of 10 micro-G with its escape velocity = approx. 20 cm/s.
Document ID
20040062096
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Yano, H. (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Tokyo, Japan)
Fujiwara, A. (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Tokyo, Japan)
Abe, M. (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Tokyo, Japan)
Hasegawa, S. (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Tokyo, Japan)
Kushiro, I. (Institute for Frontier Research on Earth Evolution Yokosuka, Japan)
Zolensky, M. E. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2004
Publication Information
Publication: Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Asteroids, Meteors, Comets