Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has published a sensational pictures of the mysterious object is docked to the asteroid "Itokawa". Any comments regarding the site, the Agency was not given, but are now becoming apparent cause of a problem accompanying the mission to study this asteroid, carried out by the space probe "Hayabusa".
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Sizes the object about 100 meters in diameter
September 6, 2005 . The Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa entered orbit around the asteroid Itokawa . Probe, formerly known under the name MUSES-C, was launched in May 2003 to deliver a sample of the asteroid material to Earth. According to JAXA, Hayabusa morning of September 4 was only 1000 kilometers from the target, where he moved with a speed of 10 kilometers per hour. Asteroid Itokawa - strongly elongated body length of about 600 meters and a diameter of about two hundred. Journey was not without serious problems, in July and October 2005 on the unit out of service two gyro stabilization system , which should ensure a stable position of the probe on okoloasteroidnoy orbit. In working condition there is only one gyro , so had to hold the probe include thrusters . MCC specialists were able to develop such a scheme of the system orientation to minimize unplanned earlier fuel for these purposes . And scientists still had hope that the program will be able to fulfill the mission in full. However, due to a breakdown in the program mission were made some adjustments . For example, for the month was reduced time of the probe in the vicinity of the asteroid. Moreover , instead of three short Hayabusa landings should perform only two . But in front of them will be held rehearsal descent. The rehearsal was scheduled for November 4. A touch of an asteroid with the collection of soil samples are scheduled for 12th and 25th November .
September 12. The probe was in 20 kilometers from the surface of a celestial body and performed more shooting the asteroid's surface . In the pictures you can see that on a small planet has plains and mountains , and the landscape , scientists hope to reconstruct the history of the asteroid. Spacecraft began mapping Itokawa . As noted in the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA), terrestrial laboratories have only samples of lunar soil and material from other planets or small solar system bodies fell to the ground only natural way - in the form of meteorites.
Meeting probe Hayabusa asteroid Itokawa, scheduled for November 4, postponed indefinitely. When Hayabusa began to converge with a celestial body on November 3, because they passed the "anomalous signal" stop the descent. The distance between the two bodies at this time was a little less than one kilometer. It was assumed, however, that Hayabusa asteroid will approach very closely, "will drop" on him a miniature probe MINERVA, capable of traveling over rough ground jumps.
Trying to land on the asteroid Itokawa research robot Minerva Japanese Hayabusa probe failed. On Saturday November 12 the Japanese space agency team from the probe is located 60 meters from the surface of the asteroid , separated robot Minerva, which had a cylindrical shape (10 centimeters high , 12 centimeters in diameter , on the capsule were engraved the names of 877,490 people noted before starting online missions) and weighed 591 grams. Cost of the robot is about $ 10 million. It was equipped with a device for the movement of jumping to 5-10 meters , is covered with solar panels, three video cameras and six highly sensitive sensors. The robot had to explore the surface of a celestial body , however, the Agency immediately lost contact with him and did not rule out that he could fly into space due to the low power of attraction on the asteroid is only one- hundred-thousandth of the earth . Then began preparations for landing on an asteroid probe itself for collecting soil samples , which had been scheduled for 19th and 25th November .
November 20, was appointed as the first attempt to " fit " the Japanese Hayabusa probe to the surface of the asteroid Itokawa. However, according to the Japanese space agency JAXA, the first asteroid landing failed. Hayabusa dropped to a height of 40 m above the surface , dropped the target , which he had used as a guide to the touch, and then went down to 17 m and at this moment MCC ground lost contact with the probe approximately 3 hours . Then link emerged , but the planned maneuver Hayabusa could not perform ( as originally thought , scientists ) . Because of a failure , the cause of which was not clear , the probe moved to offline mode , recorded information about the status of their systems , and handed it to the MCC ground for analysis.
A little later , it was announced that the Japanese space probe " Hayabusa " yet touched the asteroid Itokawa November 20, 2005 , but was not able to take samples of asteroids . To such conclusion experts of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) after the treatment and study of data sent spacecraft to Earth. Detailed analysis of the data obtained from the station " Hayabusa " , from which it follows that the unit still landed on the asteroid and spent half an hour. According to the report JAXA, " Hayabusa " began to decline in the 12:00 GMT on November 19 with a height of 1 km . Navigation and pointing systems functioned normally , and in 17 hours 30 minutes 19 November probe has been commanded from Earth to land on the surface of the pre- planned plot Itokawa . Deviation from the intended point of landing , according to preliminary estimates made 30 see also obtain the asteroid 's trajectory and " Hayabusa " and information about the dynamics of the machine height above the asteroid . Navigation marker ( small ball with reflection coating ) machine was released and reached the asteroid's surface - a fact confirmed by the picture data . The probe continued to decline and 18 hours and 40 minutes at a distance of 17 m from the surface of Itokawa moved on to the final stages of landing. Immediately after this communication with the machine was lost and only resumed on November 20 at 0 hours and 30 minutes . However , since the probe information obtained JAXA, indicating that the probe is lowered by Itokawa surface and remained there for half an hour. Retry plant probe has been scheduled for November 25, 2005 . "Today is the first successful landing of the Japanese space station on the asteroid Itokawa ," - said JAXA. Previous attempts to get acquainted with the asteroid were unsuccessful - November 12, 2005 was lost miniature robot " Minerva ", which tried to launch a probe on an asteroid .
November 25, 2005 Japanese probe Hayabusa asteroid Itokawa reached the surface and took soil samples to bring them back to Earth. Spacecraft on the surface of Itokawa was only a few seconds . Judging by the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) data , the probe is operating normally , soil sampling was successful. Four days later at the Hayabusa probe discovered a gas leak from the ion engine. JAXA representative Atsushi Ako said that for this reason the probe began to move irregularly , and had to be translated into " safe mode " . Solar panel unit deployed to the Sun, to , unit equalized its trajectory . Ion engine , built in the Japanese spacecraft accelerates due to plasma ejected outward , that is ionized inert gas. Originally on board were about 65 kilograms of xenon . In addition, the Hayabusa is the usual jet engine with which to maneuver .
November 30, 2005 left a message that the Japanese space probe " Hayabusa " has problems with jet engines . Contact with the probe was almost lost in the Monday, November 28 , and only on Tuesday, November 29 specialists JAXA received a signal from the " Hayabusa " . " If we can not revive engines return the probe to Earth would be impossible ," - said project leader Professor Yunihiro Kawaguchi (Junichiro Kawaguchi). November 29 failed to restore the auxiliary antenna , December 1, using this antenna were received telemetry data . However, the speed of information transfer is only 8 bits per second , the connection was weak and often interrupted . But information obtained allowed us to determine that there were serious problems in the system orientation and the power supply system . About December 1 final energy loss led to partial shutdown or restart of most on-board instruments . December 2 was an attempt to restart the engine chemical apparatus, but full of his work was not achieved : Rod is, but she is very weak. December 3 revealed that the main antenna probe deviated from a predetermined direction by 10 °. To restore proper orientation apparatus had to release a jet of xenon ion engine . December 5 main antenna in the correct position and managed to get a new batch of telemetry data . According to the December 6, the distance between the probe and the Hayabusa asteroid Itokawa was about 550 km, and between the probe and the Earth - 290 million km . The probe itself at this time moving towards the Earth at a relative speed of about 5 km / h. December 9 lost communication with the machine completely.
Where is the craters on the asteroid Itokawa? They do not exist, which is quite unexpected. Japanese automatic probe Hayabusa in 2005 approached the asteroid that may cross Earth's orbit. The device passed the photos showing the surface is not similar to any of all photographed still in the solar system - surface devoid of craters. How to explain the absence of such common circular depressions?
When Japanese scientists discovered cans of sterile compartments space probe Hayabusa, committed mission to the asteroid Itokawa , they hoped that in the tanks unit has at least a small amount of material for analysis. And their expectations were met . Research probe delivered particles (dust ) asteroid , although it was insignificant amount . Scientists have found that altering substance on the surface of Itokawa is and given that the asteroid was subjected to prolonged heating at temperatures up to 800 degrees , these changes do not correspond to those expected from an asteroid of this size (asteroid Itokawa currently has a size of about 500 m in diameter ) . It was therefore concluded that the asteroid Itokawa , actually is , remains much larger asteroid ( greater than 20 km in diameter ) , which was destroyed . This is a classic pile of rubble that was formed attraction and collected in a small mixed together under the influence of gravity.
In 2015, Japan plans to re-launch a space probe to obtain core samples of the asteroid 1999 JU3. At this time, the mission will make a probe Hayabusa 2.
What is this strange object? Maybe it's another spacecraft or alien civilization probe leading mining. Why the Japanese decided to send a probe to this is the asteroid, and not to any other? Maybe they noticed this mysterious anomaly much earlier?
Due to a variety of data analysis revealed that different parts like peanut cosmic body have different densities . This means that it was formed as a result of the collision of two bodies smaller . Astronomers have determined that the asteroid The so-called Yarkovsky effect , which determines the change in velocity and the axis of rotation of a small celestial body under the influence of solar heat. Because of this effect, the rotational speed of the asteroid Itokawa increases slowly : change the rotation period is only 0.045 seconds per year. Theoretical calculations predicted another, far greater figure , which means that the density of the celestial body is uneven . One half of Itokawa has a density of 1750 kilograms per cubic meter , while the other - 2850 kilograms per cubic meter .
Itokawa - Apollo asteroid family , spectroscopic class S (IV). Length is 548 m asteroid asteroid rotates with a period of 12.32 hours , the rotational axis is perpendicular to the ecliptic plane . Itokawa has an irregular shape , it can be rassmativat as consisting of a lower part ( "head" ) and greater ( " body " ) ... The appearance of an asteroid is very different from other studied asteroids. Its surface can be divided into 2 types of landscape : rugged terrain , covered with lots of rocks and boulders , and plains for " isthmus " . " Most asteroids covered primarily small regolith - stone dust , resulting due to collision with small meteorites. Was found that Itokawa contains on the surface , only small amounts of such cover - its fine material consists of particles with a size comparable to the gravel. Some scientists believe that the fine dust was carried or moved under the surface. Moreover, fragments of regolith is not distributed over the entire surface , and focused on the flat spaces , which accounts for a fifth of the area of the asteroid. According rest of the surface scattered boulders meter diameter , which suggest that some process moves into neat gravel area. One possible mechanism is moving gravel in collisions with space rocks, asteroid causes shaking at For several hours. Such shocks could also affect the availability of the craters on the asteroid Itokawa . Scientists saw fewer such entities than anticipated , only sixty of them have dimensions of several meters. Small craters could not be formed due to the fact that small meteorites crashing into the asteroid destroy boulders on the surface without forming a crater. Scientists are also divided in their opinion regarding the formation of the asteroid. Ratings its density showed that 39% Itokawa volume consists of empty spaces. He could have been formed either directly in the form of one big pile of cobblestones or formed from two colliding parts. In favor of the latter version is its shape , but the objects in the region of formation of the asteroid moving at a speed of 2 km / s, which is too much for two colliding object stuck . Besides the composition of the asteroid also remains unsolved problem . Spectral studies produced probe " Hayabusa " showed that the stones are not exposed to heat in the past. However, surveys from Earth with a telescope in Hawaii showed that partially Itokawa is molten after heating to more than 1000 ° C.
