JAXA's Hayabusa2 Executes Close Flyby of Asteroid Torifune

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Japan's space agency announced that its robotic probe, **Hayabusa2**, recently completed a close flyby within **800 meters** of the asteroid **Torifune**.

**Torifune** is a primitive near-Earth asteroid under one kilometer in size that travels around the Sun near Earth's orbital path, making it ideal for space research and asteroid defense tests.
Scientists classify this asteroid as a potentially hazardous near-Earth object because of its specific deep-space orbital path.

Estimates show that **Torifune** has an average diameter of roughly **450 meters**.
Radar data and early photos reveal that the asteroid has an elongated, irregular shape instead of a round spherical form.
The asteroid spins quickly on its axis, completing one full rotation every **five hours**, which changes how it looks to passing spacecraft cameras.

Engineers originally built **Hayabusa2** to collect space samples, and after it successfully brought soil from asteroid **Ryugu** in **2020**, it began an extended mission phase called **Hayabusa2#** to perform complex solar system flybys.
The **Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)** developed and operates this deep-space exploration mission.

The extended mission tests if a spacecraft designed for slow orbital alignment can navigate with enough precision to target a fast-moving space object.
It aims to perfect close-range navigation systems so future spacecraft can act as kinetic impactors to strike and deflect dangerous asteroids away from Earth.

Scientists designed the probe as a compact, refrigerator-sized cube structured for long journeys across deep space.
Since the spacecraft lacks movable camera lenses, operators must rotate the entire body of the probe to keep the asteroid within its field of view.
The spacecraft uses an electric **ion thruster engine** to make tiny, highly precise path adjustments during its years of travel.
The probe carries advanced optical navigation software that automatically tracks the target asteroid during its closest approach without waiting for commands from Earth.