Hayabusa2 achieves record‑close flyby of asteroid Torifune

On 5 July 2026, Japan’s space agency JAXA reported that its Hayabusa2 probe performed a high‑speed close approach to near‑Earth asteroid 98943 Torifune, passing within about 10 km of the asteroid’s centre at a relative speed of roughly 5 km s⁻¹ (≈18 000 km h⁻¹). The maneuver was part of the mission’s extended phase and was intended to demonstrate ultra‑precise autonomous navigation and to collect data useful for future planetary‑defence operations. Hayabusa2 used its optical navigation camera (ONC‑T), a mid‑infrared imager (TIR), a near‑infrared spectrometer (NIRS3) and LIDAR to record high‑resolution images, surface temperature, composition and distance measurements.

Preliminary analysis indicates that Torifune is a contact‑binary asteroid about 450 m across, composed mainly of silicate minerals such as pyroxene and olivine, with a colder shaded side and a warmer sun‑lit side. While some data have already been downlinked, the remaining scientific measurements will be transmitted to Earth over the next few weeks.

The successful flyby demonstrates technologies that could be employed to steer or deflect hazardous asteroids, complementing earlier efforts such as NASA’s DART mission and advancing planetary‑defence capabilities.