MINERVA (MIcro/Nano Experimental Robot Vehicle for Asteroid),
Japan's first planetary exploration rover, traveled to the
Itokawa asteroid aboard Hayabusa. It is a 16-sided prism
measuring 12 cm in diameter and 10 centimeters in height, and
weighing 591 grams. MINERVA was released from Hayabusa during
its descent to Itokawa. It was designed to move around on the
asteroid autonomously, by hopping, and to perform observations
with a camera and thermometer. MINERVA was deployed on November
12, 2005, two-and-a-half years after Hayabusa's launch on May 9,
2003. Unfortunately, it did not make the landing on Itokawa.
However, it was able to take an image of Hayabusa's solar paddle
during deployment, which is the world's first image of a deep-
space explorer taken from outside the spacecraft while in space.
Maintaining stable function after release, MINERVA also
succeeded in demonstrating many new engineering technologies. Q.
MINERVA is designed to travel by hopping. How did this idea come
about? Originally, Hayabusa w