The New York Times is reporting that the Japanese space probe Hayabusa -- sent to physically land on the asteroid Itokawa, get a sample of the rock, and return to Earth -- may have come back without such samples. While it's not confirmed yet, it will be disappointing news if true. Hayabusa was plagued with problems, from faulty engines to a misfiring mechanism designed to force pieces of the asteroid into a collection container. Despite these issues, engineers were able to coax the probe back into an Earth-return orbit and retrieve the sample container after a dramatic re-entry. Apparently there are traces of gas which may be vaporized rock from Itokawa, but no solid chunks. I'm sure they'll be scouring the container to look for microscopic pieces as well.
I hope they find some. Itokawa is a rubble pile, an asteroid that has been shattered by collisions and held together ...
