探査機「はやぶさ2」が小惑星「トリフネ」に無事フライバイ成功　地球を守る技術の実証にも、次は2031年の「1998 KY26」へ

Welcome to Japanese Daily News. I'm Maya. Today is July eighth. Here's a story from space. Japan's asteroid probe just flew right past a small asteroid, and the mission also helps develop technology to protect the Earth. Let's listen.

Now let's break it down, sentence by sentence.

JAXA announced that Hayabusa2 safely passed by the asteroid.

It means an exploration probe, a spacecraft that investigates.

It means to announce or make public.

Hayabusa2 came closest to the asteroid called Torifune around six thirty in the evening on July fifth.

It means an asteroid, a small rocky body in space.

It means to approach or come near.

The probe and the asteroid passed each other at a very fast speed of about five point two kilometers per second.

It means to pass each other going in opposite directions.

Torifune has a long, thin shape, about seven hundred meters at its longest.

It means long and thin.

It means a lump or mass of something.

Hayabusa2 is the probe that delivered sand from the asteroid Ryugu to Earth in twenty twenty.

It means to deliver or bring something to someone.

Because it still had fuel left, it is continuing on a new journey.

It means fuel, the energy source that makes something move.

Next, in twenty thirty-one, it will head for an even smaller asteroid called nineteen ninety-eight KY twenty-six.

It means to aim for or head toward a goal.

This success is expected to help develop technology to protect the Earth from dangerous objects that come near it in the future.

It means danger or dangerous.

It means to protect or defend.

Let's listen to the whole story one more time.

Time for a short quiz. Listen and try to answer.

It was around six thirty in the evening on July fifth.

It had a long, thin shape, about seven hundred meters long.

It will head for a smaller asteroid called nineteen ninety-eight KY twenty-six in twenty thirty-one.

That's all for today. It's amazing that a probe launched years ago is still exploring deep space. Thanks for listening, and see you tomorrow.