Hayabusa-2 Snaps Stunning Close-Up Images of Asteroid Torifune During Flyby
The flybys highlight asteroid research and planetary defense as China plans a sample return and Japan extends Hayabusa2’s mission to another target.
- Within three days of each other, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hayabusa-2 and China National Space Administration's Tianwen-2 captured close-up images of two different asteroids, demonstrating parallel advances in space exploration.
- JAXA's Hayabusa-2, which launched in 2014 to visit Ryugu, continued its extended mission and flew past the 1,500-foot-wide asteroid Torifune on July 5; Tianwen-2 launched May 28, 2025 from Xichang Satellite Launch Center and completed a roughly 400-day journey spanning more than 600,000 miles to Kamo'oalewa.
- Hayabusa-2 sped past Torifune at roughly 5 km per second on July 5 at 18:30 JST, capturing images revealing the asteroid's two-lobed snowman shape at 62 million miles from Earth, while Tianwen-2 photographed Kamo'oalewa from 12.5 miles away, showing the space rock measures around 130 feet across.
- Kamo'oalewa's unstable rubble-pile composition and fast spin present major obstacles for Tianwen-2's sampling attempt; CNSA representatives wrote the asteroid's characteristics 'greatly increases the complexity of the sampling process and the risk of the mission,' yet if successful, China would join Japan and the United States as asteroid sample-return nations.
- Hayabusa-2 will continue toward 1998 KY26 for a 2031 rendezvous, while Tianwen-2 will slingshot toward comet 311P/PanSTARRS beyond Mars in 2035, with Kamo'oalewa samples scheduled for Earth reentry in November 2027 at around 27,000 mph.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Hayabusa-2 Snaps Stunning Close-Up Images of Asteroid Torifune during Flyby
On July 5, 2026, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Hayabusa-2 spacecraft completed the first asteroid encounter of its extended mission, flying past the two-lobed near-Earth asteroid Torifune and returning its close-up visible and thermal images. The post Hayabusa-2 Snaps Stunning Close-Up Images of Asteroid Torifune during Flyby appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.
Secretive Chinese probe snaps first photo of Earth's mysterious 'quasi-moon' — and it may pose a big problem
A secretive Chinese spacecraft has captured the first-ever close-up photo of one of Earth's temporary "quasi-moons" after arriving there for a potential first-of-its-kind landing. The space probe is supposed to scoop up samples from the newly imaged space rock and return them to Earth next year. However, the blurry photo and the timing of its release hint that this may be trickier than initially thought. The Chinese National Space Administration…
The Tianwen-2 mission will attempt to collect samples from the Kamoʻoalewa hemisatellite, an asteroid that appears to be orbiting Earth. The post Chinese spacecraft transmits first image of an Earth "hemisatellite" appeared first on in.gr.
Hayabusa 2 Delivers Breathtaking Close-Up Images of Asteroid Bird Ship During Flight
On July 5, 2026, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Hayabusa2 spacecraft achieved a groundbreaking milestone by completing its first asteroid encounter during its extended mission. The spacecraft passed near a fascinating two-lobed asteroid close to Earth, known as Torifune. It successfully captured and transmitted stunning close-up visual and thermal images. This image of the [...] The post Hayabusa 2 Delivers Breathtaking Close-Up…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
