
AI-generated summary
Hayabusa2, which brought back samples from the asteroid Ryugu, is continuing its extended mission to other asteroids.
It was learned on the 1st that the only one of the four ion engines used for navigation on the Hayabusa2 spacecraft, which was currently operating normally and was operating normally, broke down on the Hayabusa2 spacecraft, which is continuing an extended mission to another asteroid after returning samples from the asteroid Ryugu.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to continue the mission using a method called "cross operation," which combines the usable parts of the two malfunctioning ion engines, which was also used on the first-generation Hayabusa. The engine will resume operation later this month, but it is unclear at this point whether it will be able to reach its final destination, the asteroid ``1998 KY26,'' in 2031, as it will depend on the progress of its deterioration.
Nearly 12 years have passed since Hayabusa2 was launched, significantly exceeding its design lifespan. Breakdowns and deterioration are occurring in various devices.
According to JAXA, among the four ion engines, A, C, and D have deteriorated, and the extended mission mainly used B, which had been saved for the round trip to Ryugu, but a problem occurred in mid-August. I tried to restore it, but it stopped working.
An ion engine consists of an ion source and a neutralizer, and both must operate simultaneously for navigation. A detailed investigation revealed that B's ion source was malfunctioning, but the neutralizer was operational. On the other hand, it turns out that the neutralizers in C and D have malfunctioned, but the ion sources are still functional. Therefore, I decided to switch the circuit and combine the ion source D and the neutralizer B.
This method was also used on the first Hayabusa, saving it from the danger of not being able to return to Earth. It was a ``trick'' added outside the specifications by JAXA Professor Emeritus Hitoshi Kuninaka, who was in charge of Hayabusa 2 at the time, but Hayabusa 2 was designed to be usable from the beginning.
JAXA's Hayabusa2 Expansion Mission Team Leader Yuya Mimasu commented, ``With the ion engines continuing to operate beyond their limits, the entire team will continue operating without giving up until the very end.''
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Ion engine cross-operation operation will resume later this month.
Very likely · Within weeks

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