Thrusters Latest Issue To Strike Trouble-Prone Probe

A Japanese spacecraft on an unprecedented mission to collect samples from an asteroid and bring them home to Earth is indeed on its way back -- but may have been damaged in landing.

All engines aboard the Hayabusa lander were shut down for a time as it hovered about three miles above the Itokawa asteroid. It had been vibrating as if one of its thrusters had developed a leak of some sort.

The probe now appears to be stabilizing, and the Japanese Space Agency JAXA will reportedly restart its engines December 10th for the long trek home.

It was the second landing attempt for Hayabusa. As was reported in Aero-News last week, JAXA lost touch with the spacecraft as it made its first attempt. It wasn't until the probe had lifted off again and communications were re-established that JAXA controller realized the Hayabusa ship had indeed landed, for approximately 30 minutes.

The question JAXA controllers were asking after that attempt is the same they're asking now: was the probe able to collect any samples from the asteroid's surface? The answer may not be apparent until the robotic spacecraft returns to Earth -- in June 2007.

FMI: www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html