Hayabusa 1

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

04:29:25

Friday May 9, 2003

Mission Details

Launch Notes

First flight of Mu-V/M-25.

Hayabusa 1

Wiki

MUSES-C (renamed Hayabusa after launch) is a sample return mission to the asteroid. Its primary goal is to acquire and verify the technology necessary to retrieve samples from a small body in the solar system and to bring back them to the Earth. The MUSES-C spacecraft is equipped with a solar-powered electrical propulsion system and autonomous navigation and guidance system. The spacecraft will rendezvous with asteroid (25143) Itokawa (formerly 1998 SF36), touch down and take some amount of samples. The spacecraft will carry a horn that will be brought up to the asteroid's surface as MUSES-C makes a close approach. A small pyrotechnic charge will then fire a bullet into the surface and fragments of the impact will be captured by the horn and funnelled into a sample container. The system will try performing several sample extractions from several different locations to obtain a mix of data and maximize the scientific return. On each of the sampling attempts, the spacecraft will begin its approach at some distance from the asteroid, move in to collect the sample, and then return back to the same distance. The time for each of the contacts with the asteroid's surface is planned to be on the order of 1 second and the sample collector system is designed to comply with every kind of surface composition. The samples are transferred into a small reentry capsule, which will return to Earth at the end of the mission. MUSES-C carried also the tiny MINERVA (Micro/Nano Experimental Robot Vehicle for Asteroid) hopping lander ("rover"), which was lost after deployment and drifted away into space.

Heliocentric Orbit

2 Payloads

510 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Mu-V/M-25

Active 2003 to 2006

Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science logo

Agency

ISAS

Rocket

Height: 30.7m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 1,800 kg

Liftoff Thrust

3,780 Kilonewtons

Stages

4

Launch Site

Mu Pad

Uchinoura Space Center, Japan

Fastest Turnaround

143 days 23 hours

Stats

Mu-V


4th

Mission

1st

Mission of 2003

Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science


27th

Mission

1st

Mission of 2003

2003


19th

Orbital launch attempt