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Science 2 June 2006:
Vol. 312. no. 5778, pp. 1341 - 1344
DOI: 10.1126/science.1125722
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Reports

Detailed Images of Asteroid 25143 Itokawa from Hayabusa

J. Saito,1,2* H. Miyamoto,3,4 R. Nakamura,5 M. Ishiguro,6 T. Michikami,7 A. M. Nakamura,8 H. Demura,9 S. Sasaki,10 N. Hirata,8,9 C. Honda,6 A. Yamamoto,11 Y. Yokota,6 T. Fuse,12 F. Yoshida,13 D. J. Tholen,14 R. W. Gaskell,15 T. Hashimoto,16 T. Kubota,16 Y. Higuchi,17 T. Nakamura,13 P. Smith,17 K. Hiraoka,8 T. Honda,8 S. Kobayashi,9 M. Furuya,9 N. Matsumoto,9 E. Nemoto,9 A. Yukishita,9 K. Kitazato,6 B. Dermawan,18 A. Sogame,2 J. Terazono,19 C. Shinohara,17 H. Akiyama20

Rendezvous of the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa with the near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa took place during the interval September through November 2005. The onboard camera imaged the solid surface of this tiny asteroid (535 meters by 294 meters by 209 meters) with a spatial resolution of 70 centimeters per pixel, revealing diverse surface morphologies. Unlike previously explored asteroids, the surface of Itokawa reveals both rough and smooth terrains. Craters generally show unclear morphologies. Numerous boulders on Itokawa's surface suggest a rubble-pile structure.

1 Hayabusa Project Team, Institute of Space and Astronautical Sciences (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan.
2 School of Engineering, Tokai University, Kanagawa 259-1292, Japan.
3 Department of Geosystem Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
4 Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Ft. Lowell Road, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA.
5 National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan.
6 Planetary Science Department, ISAS, JAXA, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan.
7 Fukushima National College of Technology, Iwaki 970-8034, Japan.
8 Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan.
9 School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Aizu, Fukushima 965-8580, Japan.
10 Mizusawa Astrogeodynamics Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), Oshu, Iwate 023-0861, Japan.
11 Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan, Roppongi, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan.
12 Subaru Telescope, NAOJ, Hilo, HI 96720, USA.
13 Optical and Infrared Astronomy Division, NAOJ, Osawa, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan.
14 Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
15 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
16 Department of Spacecraft Engineering, ISAS, JAXA, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan.
17 Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85705–6643, USA.
18 Department of Astronomy and Bosscha Observatory, Bandung Institute of Technology Bandung 40132, Indonesia.
19 Public Affairs Department, JAXA, Tokyo 100-8260, Japan.
20 Faculty of Engineering and Resource Science, Akita University, Akita 010-8502, Japan.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: saitoj{at}planeta.sci.isas.jaxa.jp

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Regolith Migration and Sorting on Asteroid Itokawa.
H. Miyamoto, H. Yano, D. J. Scheeres, S. Abe, O. Barnouin-Jha, A. F. Cheng, H. Demura, R. W. Gaskell, N. Hirata, M. Ishiguro, et al. (2007)
Science 316, 1011-1014
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Adventures in near-Earth object exploration..
E. Asphaug (2006)
Science 312, 1328-1329
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The rubble-pile asteroid Itokawa as observed by Hayabusa..
A. Fujiwara, J. Kawaguchi, D. K. Yeomans, M. Abe, T. Mukai, T. Okada, J. Saito, H. Yano, M. Yoshikawa, D. J. Scheeres, et al. (2006)
Science 312, 1330-1334
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Near-infrared spectral results of asteroid Itokawa from the Hayabusa spacecraft..
M. Abe, Y. Takagi, K. Kitazato, S. Abe, T. Hiroi, F. Vilas, B. E. Clark, P. A. Abell, S. M. Lederer, K. S. Jarvis, et al. (2006)
Science 312, 1334-1338
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
X-ray fluorescence spectrometry of asteroid Itokawa by Hayabusa..
T. Okada, K. Shirai, Y. Yamamoto, T. Arai, K. Ogawa, K. Hosono, and M. Kato (2006)
Science 312, 1338-1341
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Mass and local topography measurements of Itokawa by Hayabusa..
S. Abe, T. Mukai, N. Hirata, O. S. Barnouin-Jha, A. F. Cheng, H. Demura, R. W. Gaskell, T. Hashimoto, K. Hiraoka, T. Honda, et al. (2006)
Science 312, 1344-1347
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Pole and global shape of 25143 Itokawa..
H. Demura, S. Kobayashi, E. Nemoto, N. Matsumoto, M. Furuya, A. Yukishita, N. Muranaka, H. Morita, K. Shirakawa, M. Maruya, et al. (2006)
Science 312, 1347-1349
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Touchdown of the Hayabusa spacecraft at the Muses Sea on Itokawa..
H. Yano, T. Kubota, H. Miyamoto, T. Okada, D. Scheeres, Y. Takagi, K. Yoshida, M. Abe, S. Abe, O. Barnouin-Jha, et al. (2006)
Science 312, 1350-1353
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


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