Hayabusa2 Succeeds in Ultra-High-Speed Flyby of Asteroid 'Tori-Fune'

Explanation

JAXA's spacecraft Hayabusa2, which delivered samples from the asteroid Ryugu to Earth, has passed a major milestone in its extended mission. On July 5, 2026, it succeeded in a 'flyby survey,' observing the asteroid 'Tori-Fune' (2001 CC21) while passing close by it.

A flyby is a technique of observing a celestial body by passing it at high speed without entering an orbit around it. This time, Hayabusa2 approached Tori-Fune at a tremendous speed of about 5 km per second (about 18,000 km/h), attempting to photograph it from an extremely close distance of only about 1 km. Passing by at roughly 60 times the speed of a Shinkansen bullet train while continuously keeping the camera trained on such a small target was a challenge requiring extremely high precision in navigation and guidance.

This achievement also contributes to 'planetary defense,' which involves studying and preparing for asteroids that could potentially collide with Earth in the future. It serves as a demonstration of technology for quickly approaching a hazardous asteroid and investigating its properties once one is discovered.

Hayabusa2's journey is not yet over. Its final destination is the tiny asteroid '1998 KY26,' about 30 meters in diameter, with arrival scheduled for 2031. The second half of this long-term mission, spanning 17 years since launch, continues.