Japan's Hayabusa2 probe achieves record 400‑metre asteroid flyby

Hayabusa2 Torifune asteroid record flyby JAXA planetary defence

On 5 July 2026 the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) confirmed that its Hayabusa2 probe passed within 400 metres of the surface of the near‑Earth asteroid Torifune, the closest approach ever recorded for a flyby mission. The spacecraft, travelling at more than 18 000 km/h, was 744 metres from the asteroid’s centre. The achievement broke the previous record set by a Chinese probe, which flew 770 metres from an asteroid’s surface.

JAXA released rare black‑and‑white images showing Torifune’s shape resembles a snowman, with two rounded lobes joined together. The mission demonstrated the capability to deflect a potentially hazardous space rock, building on the successful 2022 DART test. JAXA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are now preparing a planetary‑defence mission to study asteroid Apophis, expected to pass close to Earth in April 2029.

Hayabusa2’s laser LIDAR telemetry also performed a world‑first measurement during the flyby, further confirming the probe’s precision navigation.

Entities

European Space Agency (ESA) · Hayabusa2 · Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) · Torifune · Torifune · Torifune asteroid · Yuya Mimasu

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 7 SOURCES] Hayabusa2 flew within 400 metres of the surface of asteroid Torifune on 5 July. www.rthess.gr · udgtv.com · www.iefimerida.gr · fr.news.yahoo.com · az.trend.az · +2 more
[● 7 SOURCES] The mission demonstrates the ability to deflect a potentially hazardous asteroid from Earth's path. www.rthess.gr · udgtv.com · www.iefimerida.gr · fr.news.yahoo.com · az.trend.az · +2 more
[● 7 SOURCES] The previous record was held by a Chinese probe that flew within 770 metres of an asteroid’s surface. www.rthess.gr · udgtv.com · www.iefimerida.gr · fr.news.yahoo.com · az.trend.az · +2 more
[● 7 SOURCES] The 400‑metre approach is the closest recorded flyby of any spacecraft past an asteroid. www.rthess.gr · udgtv.com · www.iefimerida.gr · fr.news.yahoo.com · az.trend.az · +2 more
[● 7 SOURCES] JAXA released images showing asteroid Torifune resembles a snowman. www.rthess.gr · udgtv.com · www.iefimerida.gr · fr.news.yahoo.com · az.trend.az · +2 more
[● 7 SOURCES] The probe traveled at more than 18 000 km/h during the encounter. www.rthess.gr · udgtv.com · www.iefimerida.gr · fr.news.yahoo.com · az.trend.az · +2 more
[● 7 SOURCES] The spacecraft was 744 metres from the centre of the asteroid during the flyby. www.rthess.gr · udgtv.com · www.iefimerida.gr · fr.news.yahoo.com · az.trend.az · +2 more
[● 7 SOURCES] JAXA and ESA are planning a planetary‑defence mission to asteroid Apophis, which will pass near Earth in April 2029. www.rthess.gr · udgtv.com · www.iefimerida.gr · fr.news.yahoo.com · az.trend.az · +2 more