Hayabusa2 sets asteroid flyby record near Torifune

Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft has achieved a record-breaking flyby of the asteroid Torifune, passing approximately 400 meters from its surface on July 5, 2026. This mission marks a significant milestone for planetary defense and deep-space navigation, as the aging probe successfully utilized autonomous onboard software to execute the close approach at a relative speed of 5 km/s.

The encounter also featured the first successful use of laser range-finding during an asteroid flyby. By using its LiDAR instrument to measure the time it takes for laser light to reflect off the asteroid, the mission demonstrated a method to more accurately calculate the position, velocity, and orbit of celestial objects. This precision is vital for predicting potential impacts on Earth.

Observations revealed that Torifune is a contact binary, consisting of two bodies that collided and merged into a snowman-like shape. The flyby significantly improved the accuracy of the asteroid’s orbital data, reducing uncertainty regarding its path from 49.5 kilometers to just 0.78 kilometers.