Japan may have just lost control of its in vogue space telescope . ASTRO - H , also known as Hitomi ( meaning an eye ’s educatee ) , is designed to study the most gumptious objects in the cosmos , but it looks like it may have tumbled out of control and could be lost for well .

As describe byNature , radiolocation observance on Sunday indicated that the satellite – which was launched last calendar month – has begun to chaotically spin around after an unexpected change in its orbital route on March 26 . In addition , communications with the ballistic capsule have been all but lost .

Although it ’s not clear what get this unfortunate incident to occur , it ’s for certain more than just a small technical fault , as Hitomi appears to have actually fragmented into at least five different pieces . This does n’t intend that it has completely broken apart , but that debris has been catch trailing from the planet .

Either way , Jonathan McDowell , an astronomer at the Harvard - Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics , tweetedthat this consequence was “ much bad than just a loss of [ communications ] ” and was perhaps an “ up-and-coming event . ”

Recap : Energetic case aboard ASTRO - H / Hitomi , loss of comms , momentum conduct , debris object . But too early to write sat ’s obituary .

— Jonathan McDowell ( @planet4589)March 27 , 2016

This site is n’t without precedent : Only last December , JAXA ’s Akatsuki ( “ Dawn ” ) space vehicle was successfully order in Venus ’ domain – its original prey – five year behind schedule , after a seemingly ruinous locomotive burn appeared to sentence the delegacy to loser . So there is Leslie Townes Hope for Hitomi yet .

This satellite was specially equipped to await for da Gamma rays and X - rays , which are typically emitted by the most industrious , violent objects in the dark sky , including mordant holes , quasars , neutron star , pulsars and supernova . It ’s a $ 273 million ( £ 190 million ) venture between the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency ( JAXA ) , NASA , the European Space Agency ( ESA ) , the Canadian Space Agency ( CSA ) and the Netherlands Institute for Space Research , and its death would prove to be a great loss for the outside astrophysics biotic community .

JAXA did briefly evolve a little signaling from the missing artificial satellite , however , and they are working to attempt to recover it . If the damage to the telescope is n’t as bad as fear , there is a possibleness it could be pirate once more for make out at least part of its original military mission .

Although JSpOC report that Hitomi separate into multiple pieces at May 26 0820UT , we receive short sign from Hitomi after that sentence .

— JAXA Web ( @JAXA_en)March 28 , 2016

This situation is n’t without precedent : Only last December , JAXA’sAkatsuki(“Dawn ” ) spacecraft was successfully placed in Venus ’ orbit – its original mark – five years behind schedule , after a ostensibly ruinous engine burn appear   to condemn the mission to failure . So there is hope for Hitomi yet .

It ’s had a uncollectible day , but I am affirmative this first light that@JAXA_en@ISAS_JAXAwill recover liaison with Hitomi in the coming days .

— Jonathan McDowell ( @planet4589)March 28 , 2016

JFK entrance the nation , and much of the human beings , when heannouncedonce upon a time that “ We choose to go to the Moon in this decennium and do the other things , not because they are easy , but because they are hard . ” Space science is , without a phantom of a doubtfulness , hard . Sometimes , thingsdo go haywire , but if we try enough times , we doget it aright . Only clock time will narrate which family Hitomi will shine into .