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.
9 Articles
9 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…
In extraordinary timing, the space agencies of China and Japan have released new close-up images from two separate space missions in recent days, providing a rare glimpse of two asteroids relatively close to Earth. The Chinese probe Tianwen-2 has managed to take the first close-up image of the asteroid Kamo'oalewa, sometimes called Earth's "mini-moon." It is a relatively small object, about 15 to 20 meters in diameter, that orbits the sun but re…
Japanese Hayabusa2 flies 800 meters past asteroid Torifune, while Chinese Tianwen-2 arrives at quasi-moon Kamo’oalewa. Two Asian space missions are deepening our knowledge of asteroids. The space agencies of Japan and China can add two impressive milestones to their records this week. While JAXA’s Hayabusa2 probe made a very close flyby of asteroid Torifune on July 5, the Chinese Tianwen-2 probe arrived […] More science? Read the latest articles…
The celestial body Kamo'oalewa, which only appears to orbit the Earth, may once have been part of the Moon.
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