HAYABUSA - RECOVERY OPERATION AND RETURN VOYAGE BACK TO EARTH

摘要

operation and the sample collection system design actually worked well demonstrating the function in space. This will lead to the subsequent missions design. From the end of this March, the spacecraft started its ion engine toward the return cruise back to the Earth. The spacecraft stopped the spin motion, while the momentum is held by the remaining reaction wheel. Both solar radiation torque and the ion engines leak torque apply the disturbance to the spacecraft attitude. Currently, the spacecraft has successfully established the new attitude control strategy, and has coped with the disturbance due to not only solar radiation but ion engine thrust. The paper will describe how the project team has coped with the difficulty and will present the return flight trajectory synthesis that takes the propulsion and attitude constraints into account. The flight experience will contribute to the subsequent planetary missions.