日本の小惑星探査機「はやぶさ2」が小惑星「トリフネ」のフライバイに成功

Welcome to Japanese Daily News. I'm Maya. Today is July twentieth. Today's story comes from space. Japan's asteroid probe Hayabusa2 just pulled off a high-speed, super-close flyby of a small asteroid nicknamed Torifune. Let's listen.

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

On July fifth, Japan's asteroid probe Hayabusa2 succeeded in a flyby, passing right by the asteroid Torifune.

It means a space probe — an unmanned spacecraft that explores.

Torifune is an asteroid about seven million kilometers from Earth. It was given the name Torifune in twenty twenty-four.

It means to be far away, or separated by some distance.

It is about seven hundred meters long with a slender shape. It's thought to spin around once about every five hours.

It means to spin or turn around.

Then, from two hours before, it switched to autonomous navigation, flying by its own judgment.

It means judgment, or making a decision.

At that moment, Hayabusa2 was set to come within about eight hundred meters of Torifune's center.

It means to come closer, to approach.

Hayabusa2 succeeded in gathering observation data with all four of its instruments, including cameras and infrared devices.

It means observation — watching and measuring something scientifically.

With this success, Japan proved it can bring a probe precisely close to an asteroid just a few hundred meters across.

It means proof, or to prove something.

This technology is expected to help with planetary defense — changing the path of a dangerous asteroid heading toward Earth.

It means defense, protecting against something.

After delivering sand from the asteroid Ryugu to Earth in twenty twenty, Hayabusa2 has continued on a new mission.

It means to deliver, to bring something to its destination.

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

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

The asteroid nicknamed Torifune.

About seven hundred meters long.

Planetary defense — changing the course of a dangerous asteroid that could approach Earth.

That's all for today. On July fifth, Japan's probe Hayabusa2 made a super-close, high-speed flyby of the asteroid Torifune, about seven million kilometers from Earth. It came within roughly eight hundred meters of the asteroid's center at about five kilometers per second, and all four of its instruments collected data. The success shows Japan can steer a probe precisely up to a small asteroid — a skill that could one day help protect Earth. Thanks for listening, and see you tomorrow.