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Missions to Comets
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Suisei
Suisei Mission to Comets
Suisei:
Suisei was Japan's second contribution to the international fleet of six spacecraft sent to study comet Halley as it passed through the inner solar system in the mid 1980s. The first was a twin spacecraft named Sakigake.

During an approach that brought it about 152,400 km (94,696 miles) from the comet, Suisei snapped a series of ultraviolet images of the massive 20 million kilometer coma of dust and gas that surrounded Halley's nucleus. Mission controllers had planned to send Suisei to two more comets, but the spacecraft ran out of fuel before the complicated trajectory corrections were completed.

Read More About Suisei

Visit the Suisei Website

Key Dates Links
18 Aug 1985: 
Launch
8 Mar 1986: 
Comet Halley Flyby
28 Feb 1998: 
End of Comet Mission
Status: 
Mission Complete
Fast Facts
Suisei Facts Suisei means comet in Japanese. It was also the name of a Japanese World War II fighter (right).

Even though it kepts it distance from comet Halley, Suisei was still hit by dust particles.

Suisei was 1.4 kg (3 pounds) heavier than its sister spacecraft, Sakigake.
 
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