The JAXA Hayabusa2 Space Probe Has Flown Past Asteroid Torifune Capturing a New Image

In the past, much has been written about the importance of studying asteroids as they represent both a potential threat to Earth and an important scientific resource for understanding the Solar System. One of the most significant missions has been JAXA Hayabusa2, launched with an H-IIA rocket in December 2014, aiming to reach asteroid Ryugu. The Japanese space probe collected material from the surface of the space object and returned it to Earth at the end of 2020.

From the analyses of the collected material, several interesting discoveries have been made as the mission of the JAXA Hayabusa2 space probe continued. Engineers achieved a new milestone in the past hours by reaching asteroid 98943 Torifune. These asteroids are located in the inner Solar System and are mainly distributed within Earth's orbit but can extend toward Mars.

JAXA Hayabusa2: The Image of Asteroid Torifune

According to the space agency, JAXA Hayabusa2 is in good health and will be able to continue its journey. Due to a shortage of onboard propellant, it was not possible to enter orbit around asteroid Torifune; however, the space probe was still able to perform a close flyby.

It is notable that this is part of the extended mission, and therefore every result collected is 'an extra' compared to what was originally planned. Observations with the scientific instruments onboard the spacecraft began in mid-June thanks to ONC-T (navigation camera), while the first close-up photograph of Torifune arrived on June 20.

Subsequently, JAXA Hayabusa2 activated three other instruments called NIRS3 (near-infrared spectrometer), TIR (mid-infrared camera), and LIDAR, which allowed the collection of useful information about an hour before the minimum distance was reached from the object. As specified by the space agency, observations were conducted only during the approach and not after the spacecraft had passed the asteroid.

Some asteroids and comets observed by various missions in the past

At the moment, only part of the acquired data has been transmitted to the mission control center on Earth. More data will be downloaded gradually over time. As mentioned at the beginning, studying asteroids will allow us to understand both the evolution of the Solar System and potential future threats (for instance, with missions to alter their trajectory) while in the future they could become a resource for extracting various raw materials.