Japan's Hayabusa2 probe will observe asteroid Torifune during a high-speed flyby on July 5 at around 6:30 p.m.

JAXA said Hayabusa2 will photograph Torifune from a distance of 1 kilometer or less as it passes by at a speed of 5 km per second.

Hayabusa2 has been on an extended mission since returning samples from asteroid Ryugu to Earth in December 2020, with a target arrival at asteroid 1998 KY 26 in July 2031.

By controlling Hayabusa2's trajectory with high precision during the Torifune flyby, JAXA aims to test technology that could help alter the trajectory of an asteroid on a potential collision course with Earth.