Junichiro Kawaguchi Quotations

Sending Minerva to the surface did not work.

Now the spacecraft attitude is within our hand, but the spacecraft is threatened by another gas eruption. That is why we have to perform the baking operation to exclude those gases from the spacecraft. The xenon gas left is sufficient for the return cruise to the Earth.

If we cannot revive the thrusters, of course a return journey is impossible.

From an engineering point of view, we see this as a success. We definitely want to try again.

We are disappointed about the postponement of the departure, but we will work hard to have the probe back to Earth as long as there is a possibility.

The project team members were very delighted to have seen all the procedures of collecting samples apparently ended without any problem.

We could prove an epoch-making planetary exploration through autonomous navigation and guidance, and stand foremost in the world in deep space exploration technology.

The challenge was subtle adjustment of jet propulsion.