Hayabusa LIDAR: Asteroid Itokawa Altimeter Data

The Hayabusa spacecraft's LIDAR altimeter measured the range between the spacecraft and asteroid Itokawa. This dataset includes Experiment Data Records (EDRs) and Calibrated Data Records (CDRs) from the mission. Version 2.0 features a new CDR optimized by minimizing offsets between the LIDAR data and a high-resolution shape model.

Use Cases

• Analyze spacecraft navigation accuracy based on LIDAR range estimates
• Optimize spacecraft trajectory models based on shape model offset minimization
• Study asteroid surface topography using calibrated altimeter data

Strengths

• Includes both raw Experiment Data Records (EDRs) and calibrated Calibrated Data Records (CDRs)
• Version 2.0 features an optimized CDR with minimized offsets to a high-resolution shape model

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Data collected by the LIDAR altimeter on the Hayabusa spacecraft during its mission to asteroid Itokawa.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 04:15:24.405928; freshness should be verified

Geography

Asteroid Itokawa