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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

National space agency

Appears in 2 stories

Stories

Hayabusa2 threads a close pass by asteroid Torifune

New Capabilities

Operates Hayabusa2

On July 5, 2026, a Japanese spacecraft flew about 1 kilometer past an asteroid the size of a skyscraper, moving at roughly 5 kilometers per second. JAXA confirmed Hayabusa2 pulled off the pass and gathered data on 98943 Torifune, a 450-meter rock no probe had ever visited.

Updated Jul 5

Japan's H3 rocket returns to flight with new booster-free design

New Capabilities

Co-developer and operator of the H3, responsible for the failure investigation

Japan's H3 rocket has been out of service since a December 2025 upper-stage failure destroyed a navigation satellite. A June 10 launch attempt was scrubbed by weather; JAXA reset the window to June 12, opening at 9:54 a.m. local time.

Updated Jun 11