Japan Probe Flies Past Asteroid at 5 Kilometers per Second

Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe flew past the asteroid Torifune on Sunday at approximately 6:30 p.m. Japan Standard Time. The spacecraft passed within close range of the 450-meter-wide asteroid’s center while traveling at about 5 kilometers per second relative to the target.

Hayabusa2 completed its primary mission in 2020 after returning samples from asteroid Ryugu to Earth. The probe has since operated on an extended mission. Torifune served as a test before the planned rendezvous with the smaller asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency conducted the encounter to gather data that could support planetary defense efforts.