All articles tagged with #1998 ky26
Japan’s Hayabusa2, on an extended mission after Ryugu, will perform one of the closest asteroid flybys by a mission of its class, approaching Torifune to within about 1 kilometer at ~5.3 km/s on July 5 to study its shape and properties and test rapid reconnaissance for planetary defense—with a long-term aim to visit the tiny asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031, potentially landing there.
Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb and colleagues speculate that 1998 KY26—the rapidly spinning object Hayabusa2 is set to study in 2031—could be a long‑lost Soviet spacecraft (Phobos 1) rather than a natural asteroid. The idea, based on suggested orbital similarities and size, is highly speculative and not yet peer‑reviewed; it aims to broaden the observational data considered when judging solar‑system objects, with Hayabusa2’s observations expected to help resolve the object's true origin.
Hayabusa2 is heading toward the tiny, fast-spinning asteroid 1998 KY26, but a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper by Avi Loeb and collaborators speculates the object could be a long-lost Soviet spacecraft from the Phobos 1 mission rather than a natural body. The theory draws parallels in size and shape and notes potentially converging orbits, though the idea remains highly speculative and distant; if true, it could fuel debates about the nature of ‘Oumuamua and prompt scientists to consider man-made objects in searches for unusual space rocks. Awaiting Hayabusa2’s 2031 observations to resolve the mystery.”,