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Suisei

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description Suisei Overview

Suisei, meaning "comet" in Japanese, was an unmanned space probe developed by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science. Launched in 1985, the spacecraft was tasked with observing Halley's Comet during its 1986 inner solar system passage. It carried an ultraviolet imaging system to study the hydrogen corona of the comet and a solar wind analyzer to measure plasma interactions. Suisei successfully transmitted valuable data regarding the comet's volatile outgassing.

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What was the main objective of Japan's Suisei space probe?

Suisei was an unmanned space probe designed by Japan's ISAS to study Halley's Comet during its 1986 approach to the inner solar system. Its primary goal was to successfully observe the solar wind interaction with the comet's glowing coma.

When did the Suisei probe launch?

The Suisei probe was launched by Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) in 1985. It was part of an international armada of spacecraft dispatched to rendezvous with Halley's Comet in early 1986.

How did Suisei complement the Sakigake spacecraft?

While its sister probe Sakigake measured basic space plasma, Suisei carried specialized ultraviolet imaging instruments to photograph the comet's hydrogen corona. Together, they marked Japan's first major interplanetary space exploration mission.

What happened to the Suisei probe after its Halley's Comet mission?

After its successful flyby of Halley's Comet in 1986, Suisei was redirected to perform a distant observation of Comet Giacobini-Zinner in 1992. The spacecraft was eventually deactivated as it ran out of its hydrazine propellant.

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