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Hayabusa's latest touchdown for sampling attempt took place at 22:00 GMT on Friday 25 November. The craft used the target marker deployed on 19 November to guide it to the correct position on the asteroid's surface.
Hayabusa carried two target markers, the first of which contained an aluminium sheet with 880 000 names inscribed on it. That target marker remains on the surface of Itokawa, close to the position where the Japanese team planned a second touchdown on 25 November.
Hayabusa carried a second target marker for the second touchdown attempt, but the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) team were concerned the craft would mix up the signals if both target markers tried to guide it down. Instead, they decided not to deploy the second targt marker, and rely on the first to guide the descending craft. The touchdown and sample collection appears to have been successful, although scientists will not know for certain until Hayabusa returns the sample to Earth in June 2007.
Hayabusa will leave asteroid Itokawa in the first week of December, to begin its return journey to Earth. If successful, Hayabusa will be the first asteroid sample return mission.
"The Hayabusa may face more difficulties on its way back to Earth, but we should renew our determination and do our utmost to complete this challenging mission successfully," said President Keiji Tachikawa of JAXA.
Asteroids could contain primordial material from when the Solar System was first created. By analysing the Hayabusa samples, scientists hope to learn more about what asteroids are composed of and how they formed.
More info: JAXA
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