Hayabusa2 Torifune Flyby (JAXA)
On 5 July 2026, JAXA's Hayabusa2 passed about 400 m above asteroid Torifune, the closest flyby of any Solar System body so far (JAXA).
Image: NASA/NOAA DSCOVR EPIC.
Last reviewed: 2 sources cited
Explain Like I'm 10
- Hayabusa2 is a Japanese spacecraft that once brought pieces of an A rocky object that orbits the Sun, much smaller than a planet. Most are in a belt between Mars and Jupiter. Glossary back to Earth.
- In July 2026 it zoomed past another asteroid, Torifune, closer than any spacecraft ever flew past a space rock.
- Aiming that well means we could one day hit a dangerous asteroid and push it away.
The Five W's of Hayabusa2 Torifune Flyby (JAXA)
Who
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and its industry and university partners.
What
A high-speed flyby of the small asteroid Torifune during Hayabusa2's extended mission.
Source: JAXA, Hayabusa2 captures images of asteroid Torifune
When
5 July 2026; Hayabusa2 launched in 2014 and delivered asteroid Ryugu samples to Earth in 2020.
Source: JAXA, Hayabusa2 captures images of asteroid Torifune
Where
Deep space; Hayabusa2 passed about 744 m from Torifune's center at about 5 km per second.
Why
Steering a spacecraft precisely to a tiny, fast asteroid is the skill needed to deflect a dangerous one.
Impact Statement
Agency solution · active
Hayabusa2 came within about 400 m of Torifune's surface and missed its aim point by only 120 m. JAXA says this shows control technology able to make a spacecraft hit a small asteroid, a major step for planetary defense.
Source: JAXA, Hayabusa2 sets a new record for closest flyby
For Further Information: JAXA, Hayabusa2 sets a new record for closest flyby
Hayabusa2 passed just 400 m above asteroid Torifune at about 5 km per second.
How This Saves People & the Planet
For People
Precise navigation like this is what a future mission would need to push a threatening asteroid away from Earth.
Source: JAXA, Hayabusa2 sets a new record for closest flyby
For Nature
Studying small asteroids up close tells scientists what the early Solar System was made of.
Source: JAXA, Hayabusa2 captures images of asteroid Torifune
Want to go deeper? JAXA has the full flyby report.
For Further InformationRelated Solutions
More solutions like this one, matched by meaning.
For Teachers
Discussion questions
- What is Hayabusa2 Torifune Flyby (JAXA), and what problem does it help solve?
- Who is behind Hayabusa2 Torifune Flyby (JAXA), and where does the work happen?
- How does Hayabusa2 Torifune Flyby (JAXA) help both people and nature? Use one fact from this page.
Sources are listed with each fact in the Five W's above.
Cite This Page
APA
Saving Planets. (n.d.). Hayabusa2 Torifune Flyby (JAXA). https://www.savingplanets.com/Hayabusa2_Torifune.html
MLA
"Hayabusa2 Torifune Flyby (JAXA)." Saving Planets, https://www.savingplanets.com/Hayabusa2_Torifune.html.