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M-V
Launched 2003-05-09 04:29:25 UTCMu Center, Uchinoura Space Center, Japan
Success
Reached Asteroid
Worldwide
19th
orbital launch attempt in 2003
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
1st
launch this year
Mu Center
1st
launch from this pad this year
Pad turnaround
1184 d 2 h
since the pad's previous launch
MUSES-C (renamed Hayabusa after launch) is a sample return mission to the asteroid. Its primary goal is to acquire and verify technology which is necessary to retrieve samples from a small body in the solar system and to bring back them to the earth.
ISAS is a Japanese national research organization of astrophysics using rockets, astronomical satellites and interplanetary probes which played a major role in Japan's space development.
Launches
32
Successful
24
75%
Upcoming
0
scheduled
Height
30.8m
Diameter
2.5m
To low Earth orbit
1,800kg
Liftoff thrust
3,780kN
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