Public release of the Hayabusa data archives (Forwarded)

Public Affairs Department
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Marunouchi Kitaguchi Building
1-6-5, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8260
Japan
TEL:+81-3-6266-6400

April 24, 2007 (JST)

Public release of the Hayabusa data archives

The Hayabusa spacecraft, which was launched in May 2003, arrived
at Asteroid Itokawa in September 2005, and it made observations of
Itokawa and tried touch down in about three months.

Hayabusa has four scientific instruments, that is Multi-Spectral
Telescopic Imager (AMICA), Laser Altimeter (LIDAR), Near-Infrared
Spectrometer (NIRS), and X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (XRS). The
data obtained by these instruments were firstly analyzed by Hayabusa
Science Team and some of the results have been published as
scientific papers. At the same time, the science team was preparing
to open them to the public and this work has almost been done.
Therefore the science team release the data archives to public from
April 24, 2007. All the scientific data that Hayabusa obtained are
open to the public.

The Hayabusa data archives can be accessed from the following web
site:
http://hayabusa.sci.isas.jaxa.jp/

The data in the archives are mainly for scientific use. The web
site is written in English for the access of researchers in all over
the world. Following data can be obtained:

AMICA:
More than 1600 images taken by using wide-band filters of visual,
near-ultraviolet, and near-infrared. The image of whole Itokawa and
close-up view of the surface of Itokawa as well as the Earth and the
Moon at the Earth swinby.

NIRS:
About 120,000 spectral data in the near infrared. Mainly the spectra
of the reflected sunlight from the surface of Itokawa, but also the
spectra of the Earth, the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

LIDAR:
The data of distance from Hayabusa to the surface of Itokawa obtained
by using LASER light. About 1.7 million points data are available.

XRS:
About 15,000 spectral data in X-ray. The fluorescence X-ray emitted
from the surface of Itokawa by the solar X-ray.

SPICE:
The position and attitude data of Hayabusa spacecraft.

Shape Model:
Very precise shape model of Itokawa created by using the data
obtained by Hayabusa.

The detailed things when the data is used are written in the Web
site. We hope that the Hayabusa data archives are used for various
kinds of research works.

Notice:

(1) All the level-1 data, which are close to the raw data, are opened
to the public.
(2) For some instruments, the level-2 data, calibrated and/or
included additional information, are also available. We will add
the level-2 data when they are ready.
(3) The precise shape model, which is not level-1 and level-2 data,
is released.
(4) The detailed information related to these data will be uploaded
when it is ready.

Reference:

Examples of images of AMICA in the Hayabusa data archives
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2007/04/200...a_e.html#ref01