

Tell HN:  Hayabusa asteroid mission returns thanks to engineering hacks - charleso

The general news today has been a quick note about the return of the Hayabusa spacecraft:
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1402<p>But I've not yet come across any mainstream articles which discuss the contortions and hacks the engineering team have gone through to bring this machine home.<p>The mission's page:
http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/enterp/missions/hayabusa/index.shtml<p>gives an overview of the spacecraft.  It has been limping home on one strained engine for the past five years, as described here:
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/jsp_includes/articlePrint.jsp?storyID=news/japa042507.xml&#38;headLine=Asteroid<p>Successfully returning that spacecraft home, asteroid samples or none, seems a hack worthy of recognition.
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charleso
Clickable links for article on return:
<http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1402>

Mission homepage:
[http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/enterp/missions/hayabusa/index.sht...](http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/enterp/missions/hayabusa/index.shtml)

The rescue plan as of 2007:
[http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/jsp_includes/articlePrint.jsp...](http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/jsp_includes/articlePrint.jsp?storyID=news/japa042507.xml&headLine=Asteroid)

