Hayabusa Spacecraft Reentry

A group of astronomers from NASA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and other organizations had a front row seat to observe the Hayabusa spacecraft's fiery plunge into Earth's atmosphere. The team was aboard NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory, packed with cameras and other imaging instruments, to capture the high-speed re-entry over an unpopulated area of central Australia
on June 13, 2010. The Japanese spacecraft has been on a seven-year journey
to return a sample of the asteroid Itokawa.

• Category

  Science & Technology

[Gabriel Gonçalves Silva]

This video is amazing!!!

I've been following this mission since it started and this was the most beautiful and exciting "end" to this fantastic mission that had faced a lot of problems but, in the end, it was able to return home and complete his goal!

Good job Hayabusa ハヤブサ!!!

Congratulations to everybody!!!

[小津 太郎]

はやぶさは偉い。　俺は今激しく感動している。

[RedFoxAce]

I'm assuming the sample returns intact despite the spacecraft's disintegration itself?

[tktkhktkykikyk]

thank you HAYABUSA.

now you are a part of EARTH...

[TheFaustianMan]

If you push the vuzvuzela it actually makes it better!

[chonty123]

oh ok, thanks for the reply :)

[Transfusions]

This is a Japanese SpaceExploreCraft called Hayabusa Returning after 7 years journey around our solar system. The purpose was to go to the minor planet called Itokawa and to gather some samples of rocks and sand. The auto landing wasn't smooth on Itokawa made some system failure so we still don't know if the sample sand is in the capsule of Itokawa. But despite many troubles and major system failure Japanese succeeded to bring it back on the Earth.

[THOMASRIPPON]

The return capsule with the comet dust collector is the small object to the bottom right of the bus as the bus disintegrates upon re-entry

[Anle Ye]

Looks like transformers are coming'!

[chonty123]

can anyone explain this to me? please

[AKportpop]

7.2 million Yen up in smoke!