Hoping that research would provide new information about the birth of the solar system, that took place more than 4.5 billion years ago, Japanese Scientists launched the Hayabusa , the only spacecraft that has been designed to land on an asteroid and then take off again. Megaphase cables have contributed to the first and only asteroid dust capture from space, as the Hayabusa space probe was equipped with Megaphase Groove Tube RF assemblies.

These cable assemblies underwent rigorous testing including radiation, thermal shock and vibration to assure the 1,100 pound space probe would continue to function through its vast 186,411,358 mile journey two times the distance between the earth and the sun.

Formerly known as MUSES-C for Mu Space Engineering Spacecraft C, the Hayabusa launched in May 2003, and met with Itokawa, an Apollo and Mars-crosser asteroid, two years later in September 2005. After spending some time studying the shape, spin, topography, color, density and history of the asteroid, the Hayabusa space probe landed on the asteroid in November 2005. Five years later, it returned to earth, after having collected samples of asteroidal material, which have been undergoing a wide variety of tests and analysis after returning to earth in June 2010.  

Calling a press conference to announce the scientists' findings, Yoshiaki Takagu, Japan's science and technology minister, said, "This is a world first and it is a remarkable accomplishment that brought home material from a celestial body other than the moon.

William Pote, CEO and founder of MegaPhase. expressed his pleasure at having been a part of the Hayabusa program, ?egaphase is very pleased to have gained successful space heritage on this state-of-the-art mission with our partners at NEC (News - Alert)/Toshiba Space and our local sales engineers, SHOSHIN Company."

JAXA's tracking stations in Japan, as well as those of NASA's Deep Space Network provided mission planners with near-continuous communications with the spacecraft keeping them informed on spacecraft health.

Four xenon ion engines and the Autonomous Navigation System that enabled the probe to approach a far-away asteroid without human guidance were some of the other innovations. The craft was also instrumented with Telescope Wide-View Cameras and Light Detection and Ranging, as well as with a Near Infrared Spectrometer.

In a related news release, the critical systems that soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines used to jam radio-controlled improvised explosive devices rely on the RF cables designed and manufactured at the Megaphase facility in Stroudsburg, PA. Over 150,000 Megaphase cables are in use protecting the Warfighter in overseas contingency operations.