Hayabusa's Fiery Homecoming Ends Seven-Year Journey

A team of astronomers and scientists from NASA, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and other organizations had a front row seat as the Hayabusa spacecraft made a fiery return to Earth's atmosphere on June 12, 2010. Special cameras and other imaging instruments aboard NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory captured the Japanese spacecraft's high-speed re-entry over an unpopulated area of central Australia. Hayabusa completed a seven-year journey to return a sample of the asteroid Itokawa. Scientists aren't sure a sample was obtained; if they do find one, it'll weigh no more than a gram.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• NASA
• JAXA
• Hayabusa

[adamb0000]

man i hope there is a sample in there after all that =]

[Terminator4004]

well the finally made it. After all the bad luck :) Good job! Now lets just hope they brought something home ;)

[thegreeensky]

thats really awesome! goodjob hayabusa... :)

[golfiiigli]

I think the return of HAYABUSA to be a very glad.

Thank you HAYABUSA!!!

[LordSlag]

@restlesspride666 9000?!?!?! THAT"S IMPOSSIBLE!!!!

[twinsoulseeker]

Good job Hayabusa and JAXA....well done.

And, thanks NASA for this beautiful video.

[UnTiedMusicStudio]

@TheMostFamousChannel No humans on this one...just a sample return from an asteroid.

[cory2146]

OMG Its the Master Chief!!!

[ilagobigm]

Thanks NASA

[ruskbutter]

はやぶさのこと一生忘れないよ！

[GrayFox2k8]

cool!

[restlesspride666]

@burgerking220 THE HAYABUSA'S POWER LEVEL IS OVER 9000!