Hayabusa2 of Japan pursues an asteroid for an landing in 2031, but new data issues problems

On December 6, 2020, the Hayabusa2 spacecraft filed virgin samples of Asteroids Ryugu in the Australian Outback, becoming the second mission to return from the asteroid samples of the world, after the first mission of Hayabusa was even more to offer.

This same spacecraft is currently on the way to another distant space rock, aimed at drawing more samples to help scientists compile the original history of the solar system. Recent asteroid observations, however, reveal that Hayabusa2 may not be able to touch its new target.

Asteroid 1998 KY26 is a small, almost lumpy object that would contain approximately a million gallons of water. He turns so quickly that a day on the rock ends almost as soon as he begins, according to NASA. Hayabusa2 should go with the asteroid in 2031 as part of its prolonged mission to collect more dust and rock directly from the source.

Now, using several observatories around the world, astronomers have collected more data on the new target of Hayabusa2 and found that it was almost three times smaller and turns much faster than we thought, according to a new article published in Nature communications.

Not clear for landing

The researchers behind the new article combined recent observations with previous radar data, revealing that the asteroid is only 36 feet (11 meters) wide, against 98 feet (30 meters). In addition, the asteroid runs about twice as fast as the previous data suggested it.

“We have found that the reality of the object is completely different from what it was described earlier,” said Toni Santana-Ros, researcher at the University of Alicante, Spain, and principal author of the new newspaper, in a press release. “One day on this asteroid lasts only five minutes!”

The first target of Hayabusa2 measured almost 3,000 feet (900 meters) wide. The spacecraft landed on the Ryugu asteroid on February 22, 2019, for the first time, then returned for a second hit in July 2019 to collect underground samples of a crater which he had created with his first landing. Shortly before dropping off its samples on Earth, the Japanese space agency (Jaxa) announced an extension of the Hayabusa2 mission and a second lucky target.

A bigger challenge awaits you

Unlike its first target, however, the second landing of Hayabusa2 will prove to be much more difficult due to the small size and rapid rotation of the asteroid. The team behind the new study used the very large telescope and other instruments of the Southern European Observatory to observe 1998 KY26 in preparation for the next meeting of the mission.

“The incredible story here is that we have found that the size of the asteroid is comparable to the size of the space machine that will visit it! And we have characterized such a small object using our telescopes, which means that we can do it for other objects in the future,” said Santana-Ros. “Our methods could have an impact on the plans for a future exploration of asteroids close to the earth or even the exploitation of asteroids.”

It has the shows of a very interesting meeting! Now we just have to wait – simplifying – for 2031 to arrive.