Hayabusa To Begin Long Journey Back to Earth

Sparky writes "Japan is planning to set the Hayabusa spacecraft on a trajectory back to Earth next month after a delay of more than a year, but it's far from certain that it will get back safely. It was supposed to retrieve asteroid debris, but it's thought that a computer error prevented that from happening. A fuel leak means that its chemical thrusters are out of action, and the craft is relying on its weaker ion engines. The journey back will take 3 years, and the capsule will be on Earth in June 2010 — even if it is empty."

obligatory

[President_Camacho]

Hayabusa To Begin Long Journey Back to Earth
I'm sure Ken and Guile miss him.

Finally a release date estimate

[Sciros]

Well better late than never as far as Ninja Gaiden 2 goes, I suppose. I was wondering when I should get around to fixing my Xbox 360.

By chance?

[Actually, I do RTFA]

The navigation systems shut down for 13 months, only 2/16 engines work reliably, 2/3 of the wheels failed and pellet gyn failed to fire. Yet they're bringing it back to Earth "in case some asteroid dust had slipped into its collection chamber by chance." Because they're feeling lucky?

Re:Ion Engines

[$RANDOMLUSER]

If they'd used Opteron, it'd be home already.

Spaceships with ion engines

[Trogre]

Aahhh, what an age we live in. Now give me lightsabres and I'll be happy.

Heh.

[Funkcikle]

"My God...it's full of...nothing..."

It had gotten BSOD or so :]

[itz2000]

...but it's thought that a computer error prevented that from happening...

Maybe they didn't have patch their WINDOWS and got BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death)
Which is quite funny... cause I've never seen a dedicated computer running Linux which crashed due to Kernel Panic
Quite a funny thought :]

Fighter Hayabusa

[Anonymous Coward]

A Winner Is You!

Piedmont Landing Site

[MountainLogic]

IIRC, it is expected to land in Piedmont, Arizona.

A man with binoculars. That is how it began: with a man standing by the side of the road, on a crest overlooking a small Arizona town, on a winter night. Lieutenant Roger Shawn must have found the binoculars difficult. The metal would be cold, and he would be clumsy in his fur parka and heavy gloves.

Re:oh noes!

[AndroidCat]

No, a Ninja is nothing like a Hayabusa, different makes too.

Ninja [kawasaki.com]
Hayabusa [suzukicycles.com]

See?

Re:obligatory

[Anonymous Coward]

Link please.