MegaPhase is celebrating 25 years of success this year. Since 1998, MegaPhase has led the air and space industries with unique cable designs for high-reliability applications, including test and measurement systems. Here’s a story from the vault when MegaPhase’s GrooveTube® cable assemblies played a crucial role in the first and only asteroid dust capture mission. MegaPhase continues to pioneer advancements in space technology today which can be shown with their recent announcement of involvement in the Dream Chaser program.
Published December 1, 2010 | Updated August 27, 2024
An artist’s depiction of the Hayabusa2 spacecraft passing near Earth. By NASA
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MegaPhase cables have contributed to the first and only asteroid dust capture from space. Japanese scientists confirmed their Hayabusa space probe, equipped with MegaPhase’s GrooveTube® cable assemblies. The seven-year mission captured particles from the asteroid Itokawa, which have been undergoing a wide variety of tests and analyses after returning to Earth this past June.
“This is a world first and it is a remarkable accomplishment that brought home material from a celestial body other than the moon,” Yoshiaki Takagu, Japan’s science and technology minister, told a press conference called to announce the scientists’ findings.
MegaPhase’s GrooveTube® cable assemblies underwent rigorous testing including radiation, thermal shock, and vibration to ensure the 1,100-pound space probe would continue to function through its vast 186,411,358 mile journey – two times the distance between the earth and the sun.
“MegaPhase is very pleased to have gained successful space heritage on this state-of-the-art mission with our partners at NEC/Toshiba Space and our local sales engineers, SHOSHIN Company,” notes William Pote, CEO and founder of MegaPhase.
The Hayabusa is the only spacecraft designed to land on an asteroid and then take off again. Formerly known as MUSES-C for Mu Space Engineering Spacecraft C, the Hayabusa launched in May 2003 and rendezvoused with Itokawa over two years later in September 2005. The Hayabusa craft studied the asteroid’s shape, spin, topography, color, composition, density, and history. In November 2005, the probe landed on the asteroid and collected samples in the form of tiny grains of asteroidal material, which were finally returned to Earth five years later in June 2010. The Japanese scientists hope that their research will provide new information about the birth of the solar system, more than 4.5 billion years ago.
JAXA’s tracking stations in Japan, as well as those of NASA’s Deep Space Network, provided mission planners with near-continuous communications with the spacecraft keeping them informed on spacecraft health. Other spacecraft innovations included the four xenon ion engines and the Autonomous Navigation System that enabled the probe to approach a far-away asteroid without human guidance, the craft was also instrumented with Telescope Wide-View Cameras and Light Detection and Ranging, as well as with Near-Infrared Spectrometer.
About MegaPhase
MegaPhase is a leading manufacturer of high-performance RF and microwave coaxial cables and components. With a reputation for delivering reliable solutions for demanding applications, MegaPhase serves industries such as defense, aerospace, telecommunications, and test and measurement. The company’s innovative products and commitment to quality have established MegaPhase as a trusted partner in the RF and microwave industry.
For more information, press only:
Director of Sales and Marketing, Rachel Cartalemi, 570-424-8400, rcartalemi@megaphase.com
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