Hayabusa
Japan's pioneering asteroid sample-return mission, launched as MUSES-C. Hayabusa demonstrated ion propulsion, autonomous optical navigation, asteroid rendezvous and touchdown, and direct sample-capsule return while exploring the S-type asteroid Itokawa.
Identity
- Aliases
- MUSES-CAsteroid Explorer Hayabusa
- Name
- Hayabusa
- Slug
- hayabusa
- Status
- completed
Details
- Description
- Japan's pioneering asteroid sample-return mission, launched as MUSES-C. Hayabusa demonstrated ion propulsion, autonomous optical navigation, asteroid rendezvous and touchdown, and direct sample-capsule return while exploring the S-type asteroid Itokawa.
- End Date
- 2010-06-13
- Landing Site Id
- qh7f3kmydsr1ftn5nt0nsmmjj98acrkd
- Launch Site Id
- qh75r01v8s0qbm0bwzp9bt6g1h7kpbkk
- Outcome
- Success despite major spacecraft failures. Hayabusa rendezvoused with asteroid Itokawa, performed two touchdowns, and returned the first samples collected from an asteroid to Earth. Although the sampling projectile likely did not fire, microscopic Itokawa particles were recovered from the capsule after its 2010 Woomera landing.
- Program
- Hayabusa
- Start Date
- 2003-05-09
- Vehicle Family Ids
- nd7j2cvckbp74kybcn8fx8r68n8aes74nd7vtkmqrwj3fb168cfd44rtxs8anp6g
- Vehicle Id
- nh7zak4f9vsf62xc3byrvsnbm98an1m9
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- 7/16/2026, 11:37:41 PM
- Updated Time
- 7/16/2026, 11:37:41 PM
Other
- Affiliations
- Organization Id
- vh76by4pqcqgwz2c255w6r83m17nh9vh
- Role
- Lead agency (ISAS, later JAXA)