Timeline event · November 2005 · The Space Shuttle Era
Hayabusa Samples Asteroid Itokawa
Japan's Hayabusa touches down on the asteroid Itokawa; despite great difficulties it returns to Earth in 2010 with the first samples ever collected from an asteroid.
Highlights
- ›First asteroid sample collection
Missions, people & worlds
Knowledge connections
- Part ofThe Space Shuttle Era
- Associated with25143 Itokawa
- Associated withHayabusa
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.