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The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) English language website states that at 20:46GMT on 19 November they received a signal from Hayabusa. It said the craft was descending toward asteroid, Itokawa, for the first touchdown for sampling attempt. The signal also showed Hayabusa had released the target marker. The altitude of Hayabusa at that time was about 40 meters, so JAXA is: "almost certain that the target marker reached...the surface."
Hayabusa then went into 'safe-hold mode' for an unknown reason as it approached Itokawa, and scientists lost contact with the craft for about three hours. They are analysing data sent back from Hayabusa, and preparing for a second touchdown for sampling on Friday 25 November. Hayabusa will leave Itokawa in December, returning the sample to Earth in June 2007.
Hundreds of people signed up to have their name sent to the asteroid when they visited the National Space Centre in 2002. A total of 880 000 names were printed on a sheet of aluminium and placed inside the mission's first target marker. The target marker is designed to guide Hayabusa to a particular horizontal spot on Itokawa's surface. The spacecraft's altimeter is used as a vertical guide.
The mission faced a setback earlier this month when the its robotic lander, MINERVA, was released when Hayabusa was travelling away from the asteroid, rather than towards it. This resulted in the loss of MINERVA.
More info: JAXA: Hayabusa;National Space Centre
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