JAXA Hayabusa2 Probe's Next Target Asteroid Named Torifune

Tokyo, Sept. 25 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said Wednesday that the asteroid that its Hayabusa2 probe will fly by for observation in 2026 has been named Torifune.

According to JAXA, Torifune is an abbreviation of Ame no Torifune, the name of a god in Japanese mythology and also the name of the god's ship, which is said to travel fast like a bird and steadily like a rock. The naming symbolizes a wish for the Hayabusa2 to safely perform the flyby observation at high speed.

JAXA publicly solicited name suggestions from December last year. A selection committee including nine elementary and junior high school students picked the name out of 3,082 applications and proposed it to the International Astronomical Union.

Hayabusa2, launched in December 2014, dropped on Earth in December 2020 a capsule containing sand and other samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu. Since then, the main body of the explorer has been on an extended mission, aiming to reach the asteroid 1998 KY26 in July 2031.

Hayabusa2 is scheduled to approach Torifune in July 2026 to take pictures while traveling at a speed of 5 kilometers per second at close distance.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]