Japan probe made closest-ever asteroid flyby: space agency
The Japanese space agency JAXA successfully conducted the closest-ever asteroid flyby with its Hayabusa2 probe, passing within 400 meters of the asteroid Torifune. This mission serves as a test for planetary defense strategies to deflect potentially dangerous space rocks.
Why it matters
Advancements in asteroid flyby precision are critical for developing future planetary defense systems against potential Earth-impacting objects.
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Add as preferred source The fridge-sized Hayabusa2 skimmed asteroid Torifune in a flyby mission that demonstrated the ability to deflect a space rock away from Earth. A Japanese probe flew 400 meters (1,312 feet) from a near-Earth asteroid this month, marking the closest approach ever recorded for such a mission, the space agency said.
The refrigerator-sized Hayabusa2 skimmed asteroid Torifune on July 5 in a flyby mission that demonstrated the ability to deflect a potentially dangerous space rock away from Earth.
Moving at a speed of more than 18,000 kilometers (11,185 miles) per hour, the probe reached 400 meters from the asteroid's surface and 744 meters from its center, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said Thursday.
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