Probe returning with asteroid rock sample

[marcus]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,3605,1652178,00.html

---quote from Guardian---
Probe returning to Earth after asteroid landing

Alok Jha
Monday November 28, 2005
The Guardian

The Japanese space probe Hayabusa began its journey home yesterday after becoming the first spacecraft to successfully land on an asteroid and collect samples.
Scientists want to study the fragments of the 300-metre-wide asteroid Itokawa, 180m miles from Earth, for signs of how the solar system was born. The probe fired a metal ball into Itokawa and collected the debris. Jaxa, the Japanese space agency, will not be certain of total success until the probe has been opened after its return, planned for 2007.

The probe had technical difficulties last week, possibly due to a gas leak.
---endquote---

Anybody know more about this? Any information about the asteroid called Itokawa?

 

[Evan Fox]

This is fascinating! I'm so excited to see what the scientists discover from the samples. It's incredible that a spacecraft was able to successfully land on an asteroid and collect samples. I'm really curious to know if they found anything interesting.