Hayabusa2 photographs Torifune on a distant, high‑speed flyby

Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft conducted a high‑speed flyby of asteroid Torifune about 62 million miles from Earth, capturing optical imagery with its ONC‑T camera and thermal data with the Mid‑Infrared Camera to analyze surface temperatures and roughness. The encounter, not part of the original mission and described as risky, adds to Hayabusa2’s long-running exploration after returning Ryugu’s samples in 2020 and sets the stage for its future target 1998 KY26 in 2031 while showcasing the probe’s ongoing study of small solar‑system bodies.