JAXA’s Hayabusa2 Successfully Performs
Historic Flyby of Asteroid Torifune
¨
Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency (JAXA)’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft performed a high-speed flyby of asteroid
Torifune (also known as 2001 CC21) on 5 July 2026.
¨
The spacecraft passed at
a distance of about 800 metres from the asteroid’s centre and travelled at a
relative speed of around 5 kilometres per second.
¨
Hayabusa2 is a Japanese
asteroid sample-return mission developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency (JAXA).
¨
The spacecraft completed
its primary mission in 2020 by returning samples from asteroid Ryugu to Earth.
¨
Hayabusa2 is currently
operating under an extended mission to study additional asteroids.
¨
Asteroid Torifune (2001
CC21) has an estimated diameter of about 450–500 metres.
¨
The flyby enabled the
spacecraft to collect important information about the asteroid’s surface,
structure, and temperature.
¨
JAXA confirmed that the
Hayabusa2 spacecraft remained in normal condition at 6:35 p.m. Japan Standard
Time (JST) on 5 July 2026.
¨
The flyby was part of
planetary defence research.
¨
Planetary defence
involves the detection, tracking, and possible deflection of near-Earth objects
(NEOs) that may pose a threat to Earth.
¨
The mission phase was
designed to test rapid reconnaissance methods and high-precision navigation
technology for future asteroid response missions.
¨ Hayabusa2’s extended mission includes a planned rendezvous with asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031.
¨ The high-speed flyby is an important step for deep-space navigation and asteroid characterisation studies.
