Projects: Space Information
The Planetary Report
Volume XXVI, Number 1, January/February 2006
On the Cover
"If you build a high tower and climb it, you will
see a new horizon," said Jun'ichiro Kawaguchi of the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency's Hayabusa mission to asteroid Itokawa. Hayabusa (which
means "falcon" in Japanese) has been beset with troubles in its
mission to the near-Earth asteroid, but it has still returned remarkable
images and has set the stage for future sample return missions. Hayabusa
captured this image of Itokawa on October 22, 2005.
From The Editor
At The Planetary Society, we don't like to leave a job unfinished. When that
job is completing the initial reconnaissance of the solar system, we are
particularly determined to see it through. In fact, we demanded that it be
done, "it" being
the launch of a spacecraft to Pluto, the last unexplored planet in our
neighborhood. (If you want to debate whether Pluto deserves the title of planet,
see our website, planetary.org.)
Now, New Horizons is on its way to explore
Pluto and the icy worlds of the Kuiper belt beyond Neptune. This mission
might never have launched without the dedicated and sustained efforts of
Planetary Society members, who over and over again fought to keep this mission
alive. At the prelaunch press conference, the mission's principal investigator,
Alan Stern, publicly recognized our organization's unflagging support for
New Horizons. That's unprecedented.
There is no more graphic demonstration of The Planetary Society's effectiveness
than this. We can all be proud. Working together, our members truly made it
happen.
So what next? Europa, Titan, even the Moon and Mars -- think of all the unexplored
territory out there. Will humanity reach out to these new worlds? You bet.
The Planetary Society will make it happen.
— Charlene M. Anderson
Features
Hayabusa: A Daring Sample Return Mission
Japan's ambitious mission to land on an asteroid, collect samples, and
return them to Earth has had its ups and downs. The tiny but robust spacecraft,
with its determined ground crew, worked through problem after problem
on its way to sample asteroid Itokawa. In the end, the "little spacecraft
that could" revealed for the first time the rocky surface of Itokawa,
dropped a memento from Earth onto its surface, and may have collected
a sample of surface dust to return to Earth. Although we don't yet know
if engineers will be able to guide the spacecraft back to Earth for the
sample return, the Hayabusa mission team has much to be proud of. Journalist A.J.S.
Rayl has been reporting on the spacecraft since before its launch
in 2003. Here, she tells the story of Hayabusa's harrowing adventure.
Deep Impact: Understanding Comet Tempel 1
On July 4, 2005, the Deep Impact spacecraft sent a 370-kilogram (820-pound)
copper ball on a collision course with comet Tempel 1 to give us our first
look inside a comet. Within minutes of the impact, the spacecraft returned
to Earth spectacular images of the explosive event. Exactly what these
images and other data revealed, however, took much longer to analyze. Now,
6 months later, Deep Impact coinvestigator Lucy McFadden and
coauthor Ray
Brown detail what scientists are discovering about comet Tempel
1 and what Deep Impact has taught us about the oldest components of our
solar system.
Departments
Members’ Dialogue
We Make It Happen!
World Watch
Questions and Answers
Society News
The Planetary Report is available only to Members of The Planetary Society. If you'd like to read these and other exciting features, JOIN THE PLANETARY SOCIETY TODAY!
MEMBERS: Download this and other back issues of The Planetary Report in PDF format from the For Members section of the website.
|
[ what is this? ]