Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft, already renowned for its successful sample return from asteroid Ryugu in 2020, faces an unprecedented challenge in its extended mission. New astronomical observations have revealed that asteroid 1998 KY26, the target for Hayabusa2’s 2031 rendezvous, is far smaller and faster than previously believed. Initially thought to be about 30 metres wide and rotating once every 10 minutes, KY26 has now been found to measure just 11 metres across and spins once every five minutes. The findings were published on Thursday, following observations by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile.&nbsp;“We found that the reality of the object is completely different from what it was previously described as,” said Toni Santana-Ros, astronomer at the University of Alicante and the University of Barcelona, who led the study using the VLT.<h2>Challenges for Hayabusa2’s extended mission</h2>Hayabusa2’s mission extension was approved after its return from Ryugu, allowing the spacecraft to continue towards KY26. While it has enough fuel to make the journey, the new revelations raise serious complications. The asteroid’s size is comparable to the spacecraft itself, complicating efforts to orbit and potentially land on its surface. Its rapid spin further intensifies the challenge, as completing one rotation in just five minutes makes maintaining proximity and stability extremely difficult.Olivier Hainaut, astronomer at the European Southern Observatory, emphasised the complexity: “The smaller size and faster rotation now measured will make Hayabusa2's visit even more interesting, but also even more challenging.”&nbsp;This marks the first mission ever to attempt exploration of an asteroid this small, and the encounter will demand precision unlike any previous planetary mission. Astronomers had to wait until KY26’s close pass to Earth to refine their calculations, highlighting just how elusive such small space rocks are.<h2>Scientific value and broader implications</h2>Despite the technical hurdles, studying KY26 carries enormous scientific value. Its bright surface suggests it could be a solid monolithic rock, though it might also be a loosely bound rubble pile. Understanding such objects is crucial, not just for planetary science but also for planetary defence. Asteroids of similar size have struck Earth before, such as the Chelyabinsk event in 2013, which caused widespread damage and injuries.&nbsp;As Santana-Ros explained, “We have never seen a 10-metre-size asteroid in situ, so we don't really know what to expect and how it will look.” This mission could therefore provide vital insights into how small asteroids are structured and how they behave in space. Hayabusa2’s work at KY26 will also inform future missions involving asteroid mining and strategies to mitigate potential threats to Earth.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Hayabusa2 mission is now poised to make history once again, this time by attempting to characterise the smallest asteroid ever targeted by a spacecraft. While the new findings make the mission more complex, they also promise to expand humanity’s understanding of small near-Earth objects.&nbsp;

Initially thought to be about 30 metres wide and rotating once every 10 minutes, KY26 has now been found to measure just 11 metres across and spins once every five minutes. 

Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft, already renowned for its successful sample return from asteroid Ryugu in 2020, faces an unprecedented challenge in its extended mission. New astronomical observations have revealed that asteroid 1998 KY26, the target for Hayabusa2’s 2031 rendezvous, is far smaller and faster than previously believed. Initially thought to be about 30 metres wide and rotating once every 10 minutes, KY26 has now been found to measure just 11 metres across and spins once every five minutes. The findings were published on Thursday, following observations by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. “We found that the reality of the object is completely different from what it was previously described as,” said Toni Santana-Ros, astronomer at the University of Alicante and the University of Barcelona, who led the study using the VLT. Challenges for Hayabusa2’s extended mission Hayabusa2’s mission extension was approved after its return from Ryugu, allowing the spacecraft to continue towards KY26. While it has enough fuel to make the journey, the new revelations raise serious complications. The asteroid’s size is comparable to the spacecraft itself, complicating efforts to orbit and potentially land on its surface. Its rapid spin further intensifies the challenge, as completing one rotation in just five minutes makes maintaining proximity and stability extremely difficult. Olivier Hainaut, astronomer at the European Southern Observatory, emphasised the complexity: “The smaller size and faster rotation now measured will make Hayabusa2's visit even more interesting, but also even more challenging.” This marks the first mission ever to attempt exploration of an asteroid this small, and the encounter will demand precision unlike any previous planetary mission. Astronomers had to wait until KY26’s close pass to Earth to refine their calculations, highlighting just how elusive such small space rocks are. Scientific value and broader implications Despite the technical hurdles, studying KY26 carries enormous scientific value. Its bright surface suggests it could be a solid monolithic rock, though it might also be a loosely bound rubble pile. Understanding such objects is crucial, not just for planetary science but also for planetary defence. Asteroids of similar size have struck Earth before, such as the Chelyabinsk event in 2013, which caused widespread damage and injuries. As Santana-Ros explained, “We have never seen a 10-metre-size asteroid in situ, so we don't really know what to expect and how it will look.” This mission could therefore provide vital insights into how small asteroids are structured and how they behave in space. Hayabusa2’s work at KY26 will also inform future missions involving asteroid mining and strategies to mitigate potential threats to Earth. The Hayabusa2 mission is now poised to make history once again, this time by attempting to characterise the smallest asteroid ever targeted by a spacecraft. While the new findings make the mission more complex, they also promise to expand humanity’s understanding of small near-Earth objects.

Initially thought to be about 30 metres wide and rotating once every 10 minutes, KY26 has now been found to measure just 11 metres across and spins once every five minutes.&nbsp;

Asteroid KY26 smaller and faster than expected, new challenge for Japan’s Hayabusa2

Japan's space agency revealed that on Wednesday (October 12) it had to send a self-destruct instruction to its Epsilon rocket after a failed launch. The rocket was found to be unsafe to fly. &nbsp;

The country's public broadcaster NHK and other local media reported that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) admitted that a problem had been discovered.&nbsp;

NHK also said that it was the first failure of a major Japanese rocket launch since 2003, and the first of the Epsilon series of rockets.&nbsp;

With Epsilon, Japan was to launch a variety of technology-demonstrating payloads to orbit and the mission was called Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration 3. This was Japan's first orbital liftoff of 2022.&nbsp;

Epsilon was flying RAISE 3 (Rapid Innovative payload demonstration Satellite 3), which is a roughly 100 kilograms spacecraft. It was carrying seven separate technologies that were supposed to get a test in Earth orbit.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/dart-mission-altered-the-orbital-path-of-the-asteroid-confirms-nasa-524603">DART mission altered the orbital path of the asteroid, confirms NASA</a>&nbsp;

The space agency had also provided a live stream of the launch from Uchinoura Space Center in the southern Kagoshima region but it was interrupted. Without giving any details, the presenters said that some problems have occurred.&nbsp;

Notably, the solid-fuel Epsilon rocket has been successfully launched five times. It has been in service since 2013. On being compared with other similar rockets, the Epsilon rocket is smaller than the country's previous liquid-fuelled model. Also, it is a successor to Japan's solid-fuel M-5 rocket which was retired in 2006 due to its high cost.&nbsp;

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Japan's space agency revealed that on Wednesday (October 12) it had to send a self-destruct instruction to its Epsilon rocket after a failed launch. The rocket was found to be unsafe to fly.

Japan's space agency revealed that on Wednesday (October 12) it had to send a self-destruct instruction to its Epsilon rocket after a failed launch. The rocket was found to be unsafe to fly. The country's public broadcaster NHK and other local media reported that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) admitted that a problem had been discovered. NHK also said that it was the first failure of a major Japanese rocket launch since 2003, and the first of the Epsilon series of rockets. With Epsilon, Japan was to launch a variety of technology-demonstrating payloads to orbit and the mission was called Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration 3. This was Japan's first orbital liftoff of 2022. Epsilon was flying RAISE 3 (Rapid Innovative payload demonstration Satellite 3), which is a roughly 100 kilograms spacecraft. It was carrying seven separate technologies that were supposed to get a test in Earth orbit. ALSO READ | DART mission altered the orbital path of the asteroid, confirms NASA The space agency had also provided a live stream of the launch from Uchinoura Space Center in the southern Kagoshima region but it was interrupted. Without giving any details, the presenters said that some problems have occurred. Notably, the solid-fuel Epsilon rocket has been successfully launched five times. It has been in service since 2013. On being compared with other similar rockets, the Epsilon rocket is smaller than the country's previous liquid-fuelled model. Also, it is a successor to Japan's solid-fuel M-5 rocket which was retired in 2006 due to its high cost. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Japan instructs its space rocket to self-destruct after failed launch

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Asteroid KY26 smaller and faster than expected, new challenge for Japan’s Hayabusa2

Japan instructs its space rocket to self-destruct after failed launch