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Jaxa

All articles tagged with #jaxa

science1 month ago•52 min saved

Hayabusa2’s daring 800-meter flyby reveals Torifune as a contact-binary asteroid

Japan’s JAXA Hayabusa2 mission carried out an exceptionally close flyby of near-Earth asteroid Torifune, reaching about 800 meters from the asteroid’s center at a speed of roughly 5.3 km/s after months of debate over safety. The flyby produced high-resolution imagery showing Torifune is a contact-binary asteroid larger than anticipated, with all four science instruments returning data and the most urgent data downlinked, while the full 300 MB dataset will arrive later. The mission demonstrates rapid asteroid characterization capabilities and could inform future planetary-defense efforts, including potential impactor-style investigations.

via Yahoo|

#close-flyby #hayabusa2 #jaxa

space1 month ago•107 min saved

Hayabusa2's 800-meter close shave reveals Torifune as a binary asteroid

Hayabusa2 pushed its aging craft to a record-close 800-meter flyby of the near‑Earth asteroid Torifune, a binary rock, after a heated debate over risk; the mission returned close images and science data from all four instruments, including nine seconds of Thermal Infrared Imaging and a possible first LIDAR ranging during an asteroid flyby, with about 25 MB of data downlinked initially and some 300 MB total expected. The operation demonstrated fast reconnaissance capabilities for planetary defense and paves the way for the spacecraft's 2031 rendezvous with KY26.

via Space|

#asteroid #flyby #hayabusa2

technology1 month ago•24 min saved

Japan tests prototype reusable rocket, lands safely after 40-second hop

Japan’s JAXA tested a prototype reusable rocket at Noshiro in Akita Prefecture, achieving a ~10‑meter ascent and a safe landing after a ~40‑second flight, marking a step toward lower launch costs via partial reuse amid global advances by SpaceX and China; officials will review data to confirm success and Japan’s rocket-industry competitiveness.

via The Japan Times|

#akita-prefecture #jaxa #noshiro

space1 month ago•102 min saved

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.

via Space|

#asteroid-flyby #hayabusa2 #jaxa

space1 month ago•1 min saved

Hayabusa2 completes Torifune asteroid flyby, on track to 2031 target

Japan's Hayabusa2 completed a high-speed flyby of the Torifune asteroid as part of its Extended Mission, with data confirming success and potential image release; the probe continues toward its final target in 2031 and aims to advance close-approach technology for planetary defense.

via nhk.or.jp|

#asteroid #hayabusa2 #jaxa

space-exploration2 months ago•95 min saved

Japan’s Tiny Transforming Rover Demonstrates Autonomous Moon Navigation

A compact 8 cm spherical rover named SORA-Q, developed by JAXA with Sony, Doshisha University and Takara-TOMY, transforms from a sphere into a two‑wheeled rover and autonomously explored the Moon after being deployed from JAXA’s SLIM lander in December 2023. The rover, alongside LEV-1, relayed data back to Earth, demonstrating miniature autonomous lunar robotics and onboard navigation; communications ceased after about 100 minutes, likely due to LEV‑1 or battery issues, but the mission showcases promising tech for future small-spacecraft explorers.

via Space|

#autonomous-navigation #jaxa #moon

space-exploration2 months ago•94 min saved

Japan's H3 Rocket Makes Comeback, Deploys Six Satellites on Return-to-Flight

Japan's JAXA successfully launched the H3 rocket on its first flight since December's failure, delivering six payloads—PETREL, STARS-X, BRO-22, VERTECS, HORN-L, and HORN-R—to their orbits from Tanegashima Space Center. The mission used the rocket's three LE-9 engines, marked the vehicle's return-to-flight, and confirmed nominal separation of all payloads about 16 minutes after liftoff, following a previous mishap caused by a damaged payload adapter.

via Space|

#h3-rocket #jaxa #michibiki-5

technology2 months ago•23 min saved

Japan launches cost-efficient H3 rocket in first flight of 30 configuration

Japan successfully launched the H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center, marking the first flight of the H3’s 30 configuration, a booster-free, lower-cost variant powered by three LE-9 engines; the liftoff resumed flights after a December failure, with the rocket reaching its target orbit about 16 minutes later.

via The Japan Times|

#h3-rocket #japan #jaxa

space-exploration2 months ago•82 min saved

LEV-2 morphs across the Moon: Japan's tiny rover eyes the upside-down SLIM lander

Japan's palm-sized LEV-2 rover autonomously explored the Moon for about 100 minutes as part of the SLIM 'Moon Sniper' mission, photographed the upside-down lander, demonstrated morphable mobility with internal wheels and autonomous navigation, and provided crucial data and lessons to improve future lunar robotics—even as the SLIM lander faced power issues and ultimately ceased communications.

via Live Science|

#jaxa #lev-2 #moon

space2 months ago•3 min saved

Tiny Transformer Lunar Rover Maps a Path for Micro-Explorers

A tiny, transformer-inspired lunar rover called SORA-Q operated for about 100 minutes on the Moon, transforming to traverse terrain and capturing 12 high‑resolution images before relaying data via its LEV‑1 companion. The mission aided JAXA in diagnosing the SLIM lander, demonstrated autonomous anomaly detection and recovery, and underlines how miniature rovers could supplement larger spacecraft by accessing cramped spaces like vents and craters on the Moon or other worlds.

via Gizmodo|

#jaxa #lunar-robotics #science-robotics

space2 months ago•11 min saved

Hayabusa’s Itokawa comeback: first asteroid samples reach Earth after a seven-year, bumpy voyage

After a seven-year journey plagued by fuel leaks, communications glitches, and a sampling system that failed to fire, JAXA’s Hayabusa capsule returned to Earth in 2010 with a 40-centimeter container carrying the first asteroid samples from Itokawa. Although the sampling mechanism didn’t fire, the touchdown disturbed the surface enough for about 1,500 dust grains to be collected, later identified as Itokawa material and tied to the LL chondrite meteorite class for the first time. The mission proved sample return from an asteroid was feasible and informed its successor, Hayabusa2, with broader context later enriched by OSIRIS-REx findings from Bennu.

via Space Daily|

#asteroid-sample-return #hayabusa #itokawa

space3 months ago•14 min saved

ESA and JAXA Seal Ramses Collaboration to Study Apophis Before the 2029 Flyby

The European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency have formalized a Ramses collaboration to study asteroid Apophis during its 2029 Earth flyby: Ramses is set to launch in 2028 on an H3 rocket, with JAXA supplying solar arrays and a thermal infrared imager and OHB Italia as prime contractor. The mission would reach Apophis in February 2029, about two months before its close approach to Earth at roughly 32,000 kilometers, enabling detailed observations of the asteroid’s surface and the flyby’s gravitational effects for science and planetary defense insights.

via SpaceNews|

#apophis #asteroid-mission #esa

space3 months ago•5 min saved

ESA and JAXA Unite on Ramses: A Historic Mission to Study Apophis and Boost Planetary Defense

ESA and JAXA signed an agreement to launch the Ramses mission to the near-Earth asteroid Apophis, with a planned 2028 launch and a 2029 rendezvous during its close Earth flyby at about 32,000 km. The mission aims to study how Apophis behaves under Earth's gravity and to collect data that could improve asteroid deflection and monitoring strategies, informing future planetary-defense efforts. ESA will lead spacecraft design and operations, JAXA will contribute lightweight solar arrays and an infrared imager, and ESA’s NEO Coordination Centre will refine orbital predictions ahead of the flyby. This collaboration showcases international partnership as a cornerstone of global space safety.”,

via The Daily Galaxy|

#apophis #esa #international-cooperation

space-exploration4 months ago•73 min saved

Rocket Lab launches eight satellites for JAXA, including origami-fold antenna

Rocket Lab’s 79th Electron launch lifted off from New Zealand on April 22, deploying eight satellites for Japan’s JAXA as part of the Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program. The mission, Kakushin Rising, includes educational smallsats, an ocean-monitoring satellite, a multispectral-camera demonstration, and a deployable origami antenna that unfurls to 25 times its packed size. The payloads were placed into a ~540 km low Earth orbit about an hour after liftoff, following JAXA’s earlier RAISE‑4 mission.

via Space|

#electron #jaxa #kakushin-rising

space5 months ago•2 min saved

HTV-X1 Set for ISS Departure With Scheduled NASA/JAXA Coverage

NASA and JAXA’s HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft is slated to depart the International Space Station on March 6 after delivering about 12,000 pounds of cargo; undocking on March 5 will be performed by Canadarm2, with live coverage starting at 11:45 a.m. EST before the 12 p.m. release. NASA will not provide live coverage of the undocking. HTV-X1 will remain in orbit for more than three months as a platform for JAXA experiments and will burn up upon reentry, disposing of several thousand pounds of trash. HTV-X1 arrived at the ISS on Oct. 29, 2025, after a Oct. 25 launch on an H3 rocket from Tanegashima.

via NASA (.gov)|

#htv-x1 #iss #jaxa