A websitecraft has the potential to touch down on a miniscule asteroid, as demonstrated by Japan's Hayabusa2 mission, which endeavors to achieve this feat.
Small asteroids, like KY26, are the most common type to impact Earth. Recently, astronomers have gained new insights into the properties of asteroid KY26, thanks to the observations led by Toni Santana-Ros from the University of Alicante in Spain at the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile.
Previously thought to be 98 feet (30 meters) wide, KY26 is actually 36 feet (11 meters) across. This makes the asteroid similar in size to the one that hit near Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013, causing widespread damage and injuries.
Santana-Ros and his team found that KY26 spins on its axis once every 5 minutes, much faster than previously thought. The smaller size and faster rotation of KY26 will make the upcoming Hayabusa2 mission more challenging.
The Japanese Aeroexploration mission Hayabusa2 is currently on an extended mission, taking it to asteroid KY26 in 2031. The plan for the Hayabusa2 mission is to orbit KY26 and attempt a touchdown to learn more about the structure and composition of small asteroids.
The observations of KY26 with the VLT prove that we can learn much about small asteroids without leaving Earth. The findings on KY26 could have an impact on plans for future near-Earth asteroid exploration or asteroid mining.
The Hayabusa2 mission is primarily designed for learning more about small asteroids for planetary defense purposes. Upon arrival, it will determine KY26's exact structure and composition. Interestingly, the asteroid appears to be made of solid rock, rather than a loose, dusty rubble pile.
However, Toni Santana-Ros did not completely rule out the possibility of a rubble pile structure. The smaller size of KY26 means that it could be a complex object, with irregularities and uncertainties in its composition.
The observations of KY26 were reported in the journal Nature Communications on Sept. 18. Despite the challenges, the Hayabusa2 mission is set to rendezvous with and touchdown on asteroid KY26 in 2031, providing valuable data for our understanding of small asteroids.
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