06/07/2026 16:39 - Tecnologia
On July 5, 2026, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) achieved an unprecedented feat. Its Hayabusa2 probe completed an extreme flyby, skimming past the asteroid Torifune at a distance of less than 800 meters. The spacecraft, roughly the size of a refrigerator and traveling at over 18,000 kilometers per hour, proved that guiding a probe with millimeter precision in deep space is possible—a crucial skill for planetary defense.
According to JAXA reports, at 18:35 local time, the maneuver was completed successfully and the probe continued to operate normally. Images shared by the agency showed scientists applauding in the control room, celebrating a milestone that could be vital for humanity's future.
Planetary defense refers to the measures and technologies designed to prevent or mitigate the impact of celestial objects against Earth. Unlike NASA's DART mission in 2022, which deliberately crashed a spacecraft into asteroid Dimorphos to alter its orbit, the Japanese test aimed to prove precision navigation during an extreme approach without colliding.
Yuya Mimasu, a JAXA researcher, described the difficulty of the maneuver with an analogy: It is as difficult as trying to shoot through a one-yen coin located somewhere in the area stretching from Okinawa to Hokkaido (referencing the vast distance between Japan's southernmost and northernmost main islands).
Launched in 2014, the Hayabusa2 probe already has an impressive track record. On previous missions, it landed on asteroid Ryugu, located about 300 million kilometers from Earth, and collected surface material. Six years later, it returned those samples to our planet, offering valuable clues about the early solar system from around 4.6 billion years ago.
Following its pass by Torifune, the probe will continue its journey. It is expected to attempt an encounter with another asteroid, 1998KY26, in 2031. As Patrick Michel, a project scientist at the European Space Agency (ESA), noted, every new image and surface data better prepares us to understand the diversity of near-Earth asteroids.
Asteroid Torifune currently poses no real threat to our planet. This test is part of a series of peaceful, scientific explorations aimed at expanding our practical knowledge for the benefit of future generations. Source: 24morelos and Infobae.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
