Hayabusa: The Artificial Meteor Launched From An Asteroid

The Hayabusa mission, led by the Japanese space agency JAXA, aimed to collect samples from the asteroid Itokawa. Despite challenges like solar flares and landing difficulties, the mission succeeded in bringing back samples that provided insights into the asteroid's composition and potential sources of Earth's water. Hayabusa's re-entry was used to study the light emitted by known materials, contributing to our understanding of meteors.

What were the findings from the samples collected by Hayabusa?

Explain the purpose of Hayabusa's final descent and its impact on scientific research.

What did scientists learn about the composition of Itokawa from the Hayabusa mission?