Hayabusa facts for kids
Hayabusa (はやぶさ) was a special spacecraft from Japan. Its name means "Peregrine Falcon".
Hayabusa had an important job: to fly to a small space rock called 25143 Itokawa. It went there to collect tiny pieces of the rock. This mission was a project by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science in Japan.
The Hayabusa spacecraft launched into space on May 9, 2003. In November 2005, it successfully landed on the asteroid. After its long journey, Hayabusa returned to Earth in June 2010, completing its mission.
Exploring Asteroid Itokawa
The main goal of the Hayabusa mission was to study 25143 Itokawa. Scientists wanted to learn many things about this asteroid. They looked at its shape, how it spun, and what its surface looked like. They also studied its color, what it was made of, and how heavy it was.
Bringing Back Asteroid Dust
A very exciting part of the Hayabusa mission was trying to bring a sample back to Earth. This was the first time anyone tried to collect dust from an asteroid and bring it home. Scientists wanted to study this dust up close in their labs. This helps them understand more about how our solar system formed.
Images for kids
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Denis J. P. Moura (left) and Junichiro Kawaguchi (right) at the 2010 International Astronautical Congress (IAC)
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The half-scale model of Hayabusa at the IAC in 2010
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The replica of the re-entry capsule exhibited at JAXAi (closed on 28 December 2010)
See also
In Spanish: Hayabusa (sonda espacial) para niños
