Hayabusa:
Goals: Japan built Hayabusa to test new technologies, including an ion engine, and to collect the first samples from the surface of an asteroid. It also carried a small 600 gram (1.3 pound) mini-lander named MINERVA, which was designed to hop around the asteroid's surface.

Accomplishments: Hayabusa studied and photographed Itokawa for more than two months. Both Hayabusa and MINERVA experienced complications during landing attempts, Hayabusa landed on the asteroid on 19 Nov. 2005 and attempted to collect samples, but it is not clear if this was successful. A sample capsule is scheduled to return to Earth in 2010. Hayabusa was the first spacecraft to successfully land and take off from the surface of an asteroid. MINERVA probably drifted off into space instead of landing.

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9 May 2003:  Launch (04:29:25 UT) Sep 2005:  Arrival at Asteroid Itokawa Jun 2010:  Sample Return to Earth Status:  In Flight Show All Dates for Hayabusa		19 Nov 2009:  Hayabusa on Track 9 Nov 2009:  Hayabusa Troubles 20 Apr 2007:  PSI Scientists Find Migrating Regolith on Tiny Asteroid Itokawa More Headlines
Hayabusa means falcon in Japanese. It was the first spacecraft to successfully land and take off on an asteroid. The samples, if any were collected, will weigh less than a gram.		Solar System Bodies: Asteroids Hayabusa Multimedia Gallery NSSDC Master Catalog: Hayabusa