SagamiharaHayabusa2 lasered an asteroid with no reflectors.
Moon lasers work because reflectors sit there, but this asteroid has none.
Flying past Torifune at kilometres per second on July 5, JAXA’s probe measured distance directly rather than estimating it.
Direct ranging sharpens orbit forecasts before Hayabusa2 reaches asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031.
How each outlet framed it
- Phys.org
- documents LIDAR dual-use measurement of asteroid distance and physical properties during flyby
Sources: Phys.org