I think you have to consider Hyabusa a success regardless whether it can return. After all it managed to rendevous with an asteroid for only the 2nd time that has been accomplished. However, Japanese probes seem to have a history of major problems and this one appears to be no exception. The reaction wheels go bad, they miss dropping their mini probe on the asteroid (that is a pretty big miss it seems to me), and both sets of thrusters appear to be bad (one set leaking, one set frozen).

Well, I guess it reminds us that none of this is easy. Still, it just seems like too many avoidable things go wrong on space probes (not only Japanese--e.g. Mars Polar Lander and orbiter). This track record should also be sobering for manned space enthusiasists. We'll never be free of risk, but we do need to increase reliability dramatically because the cost of failure is so huge with manned vehicles. At the same time we need to increase reliability dramatically, we really also need to cut costs dramatically. I just don't see it near term.