Contested approach to nearby body
On July 5, Japan's Hayabusa2 probe transmitted striking imagery of a near-Earth asteroid after navigating a remarkably tight flyby of the celestial object. The pictures returned after the maneuver reveal surface features from an unusually short range.
Prior to executing the close pass, the involved research groups engaged in intense discussion. A number of scientists classified the plan as excessively hazardous and initially withheld approval. Only after contentious debates did the teams grant clearance for the daring proximity attempt.
Mission context
Hayabusa2 is operated by the Japanese space agency and had previously delivered samples from a different asteroid to Earth. The recently performed close encounter was designed to gather additional data on another near-Earth object, without any landing or sampling being planned.
- Flyby date: July 5
- Target: near-Earth asteroid
- Status: maneuver completed, images received
- Decision made only after internal debate