Hayabusa2's 2031 Mission: A Tiny Asteroid Target with a Spin Problem
Back in December 2020, the Hayabusa2 spacecraft delivered some incredibly valuable samples from asteroid Ryugu to the Australian outback. It was a major win, cementing its place as only the second mission ever to bring back asteroid samples – following Hayabusa's initial trip in 2010. But guess what? Hayabusa2 isn't done yet!
The same spacecraft is now speeding towards another distant space rock, hoping to grab even more samples. These samples, scientists believe, could help us piece together the puzzle of how our solar system came to be. However, things might not be so simple. Recent observations suggest that Hayabusa2 might face some serious challenges when it comes to actually landing on this new target.
A Tiny, Spinning Target
This asteroid, known as 1998 KY26, is a near-Earth object that could potentially contain a million gallons of water. Now, here's where it gets tricky: this thing spins incredibly fast. A day on this asteroid is over practically before it begins, according to NASA. Hayabusa2 is scheduled to meet up with the asteroid in 2031, as part of its extended mission to collect more precious dust and rock.
Here is the problem: astronomers have been using telescopes around the world to gather more information about Hayabusa2's target. According to a new paper, it turns out that the asteroid is much smaller and spins way faster than initially thought.
The asteroid is a mere 36 feet (11 meters) wide, not the 98 feet (30 meters) previously estimated. And get this – it's spinning about twice as fast as we thought! "We found that the reality of the object is completely different from what it was previously described as," said Toni Santana-Ros, the lead author of the new paper. "One day on this asteroid lasts only five minutes!". This creates a difficult challenge, and I believe that they may have to find an alternative plan for Hayabusa2's mission.
Landing on Ryugu wasn't exactly a walk in the park either. It was almost 3,000 feet (900 meters) wide!. Hayabusa2 first touched down on Ryugu in February 2019 and then went back for a second helping in July 2019 to collect samples from a crater it had created. Shortly before sending the samples back to Earth, JAXA announced that Hayabusa2's mission would be extended, giving it a shot at a second target.
It seems clear that this second landing will be far more difficult because of the asteroid's size and rotation speed.
The team's ability to characterize such a small object using telescopes is impressive and could have big implications for future asteroid exploration and even asteroid mining.
Source: Gizmodo