The MUSES-C ISAS asteroid mission which was scheduled to be
launched in coming December, has been put off till the next
launch window (May 2003).
The MUSES-C team found an O-ring of a regulator for attitude
control system broken during the checking operation. As some
other similar O-rings are used for MUSES-C, ISAS team has
been engaged in detailed investigation about related
components. As of the present moment, the O-ring in trouble
has been changed, and the investigataion has already
confirmed the whole attitude control system has no problem.
The process, however, costed a long time, and ISAS is
obliged to postpone the launch of MUSES-C from scheduled
December 2002 to the next launch window, May 2003.
Thanks to many people’s cooperation, the applicants to
“Let’s go to our Star Prince” reached about 880,000. ISAS
would like all applicants to understand the situation that
the launch delay this time also means safer arrival of
880,000 names at the target asteroid, 1998SF36. In spite
of this launch delay, arrival times to the asteroid and
the earth will not be changed.
