Japan's Spacecraft Technology Tested to Avert Earth's Collision with Asteroid

Japan's space agency, JAXA, plans to repurpose its Hayabusa2 spacecraft to intercept and deflect an Earth-bound asteroid, 1998 KY26, in a mission to test technology capable of destroying asteroids on a collision course with Earth. The asteroid, with a diameter of 30 meters, is part of a class known as "fast rotating asteroids" and poses a potential threat. JAXA emphasizes the need for such technology as space rocks of this size collide with Earth every 100 to 1,000 years. The mission aims to advance planetary defense technologies and contribute to adjusting the orbit of potentially hazardous asteroids.