It may look like a head of the giraffe, but it's the shape of Sagamihara City.

It may look like a head of the giraffe, but it's the shape of Sagamihara City.

Refers to the controlling the attitude of the solar paddles on Hayabusa-san's back so they're at right angles to the sun rays in order to collect energy.

This is extremely important because she runs on electricity.

Refers to the controlling the attitude of the solar paddles on Hayabusa-san's back so they're at right angles to the sun rays in order to collect energy.

This is extremely important because she runs on electricity.

Globally recognized identification number issued by NASA.

As she was the 19th satellite launched in 2003, she was designated "2003-019A". The naming system is extremely easy to understand.

In Japan's case, satellites are known by English names from their planning stages until launch. Once the launch has been successfully completed, it is customary to give the satellites new Japanese nicknames. There are exceptions to this rule, however, as was the case with the Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS), which came to be known as "Daichi" just before launch.

As for the origin of the "Hayabusa" naming, this comes from books and other related materials and is not official nomenclature from JAXA. Its source can be traced back to a lecture given by JAXA Associate Executive Director Matogawa Yasunori, where he referenced it as such. 1) Approach an asteroid and collect samples with movement similar to a falcon. 2) Dr. Itokawa designed the "Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa" fighter plane during WWII. 3) ISAS (the organization preceding JAXA) employees used the "Hayabusa" limited express sleeper train when traveling from Tokyo to the Kagoshima Space Center.

Itokawa Hideo, a person called the father of the Japanese rocket development.

Dr.Itokawa's personal vitality really made great contributions to Japanese rocket development and advance.

So to speak, the M-V rocket is a direct descendant of his Pencil Rocket.