For Hayabusa-san's autonomous optical navigation, image processing is an integral component.

During its performance tests, photographs were taken of the dark side of the Moon and the Earth.

But because of rights restrictions, the pictures used in this manga are different from the pictures that Hayabusa-san took.

(Here, stock photos were used)

It seems that Sagami-san was worried that the lack of sleep could have been causing dry skin...

In reality necessary operations generally had been completed by the day before the gravity assist. The main goal of the day of the maneuver had become to watch and ensure things went smoothly.

(Libogen) "A special drink that helps one overcome difficulties"

This energy drink is made by Taisho Pharmaceutical Company, which has an Eagle trademark.

As of now, Hayabusa has achieved 150 points from a results-based 100-point scale.

This value is neither a joke nor an exaggeration.

Whatever level the Hayabusa mission achieves, each step is the same as concluding one whole project (worth 100 points); this was a very ambitious compound challenge.

* 50 points: Begin operation of ion engines (using all three at once)

*100 points: Operation of ion engines for more than 1000 hours

*150 points: Success using an Earth gravity assist (this was the world's first gravity assist using ion engines)

*200 points: Successfully completing a rendezvous with Itokawa with autonomous navigation

*250 points: Successful scientific observation of asteroid

*300 points: Touch-down and sample collection

*400 points: The capsule returns to Earth, enters the atmosphere and is collected

*500 points: Acquisition of the sample