Fact Sheet
Closing In
Japan's Hayabusa probe casts a shadow on the asteroid Itokawa as it descends toward the asteroid on November 20. The probe touched down on Itokawa twice. It fired pellets into its surface to break off bits of the asteroid. Hayabusa was supposed to capture a few of these bits for return to Earth. Scientists won't know if the capture mission was successful until Hayabusa's return. [Credit: JAXA]
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