Tell HN: Hayabusa asteroid mission returns thanks to engineering hacks

The general news today has been a quick note about the return of the Hayabusa spacecraft: http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1402

But I've not yet come across any mainstream articles which discuss the contortions and hacks the engineering team have gone through to bring this machine home.

The mission's page: http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/enterp/missions/hayabusa/index.shtml

gives an overview of the spacecraft. It has been limping home on one strained engine for the past five years, as described here: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/jsp_includes/articlePrint.jsp?storyID=news/japa042507.xml&headLine=Asteroid

Successfully returning that spacecraft home, asteroid samples or none, seems a hack worthy of recognition.