Patrick Michel

Planetary scientist on the Hayabusa2 science team

Appears in 1 story

Born: February 25, 1970, Saint-Tropez

Education: University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, École supérieure des techniques aéronautiques et de construction automobile

Last updated Nov 2, 2026

Stories

Hayabusa2 threads a close pass by asteroid Torifune

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As of July 2026: Awaiting flyby data on a never-before-seen asteroid

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