JAXA’s Space Survival Tech and the Asteroid Flyby.

Japan’s space agency, JAXA, has moved into a high-energy phase for 2026, focusing on how humans and robots will live beyond Earth. The legendary Hayabusa2 spacecraft, still healthy after its 2020 mission, is currently closing in on its next target: the asteroid 2001 CC21 (newly nicknamed "Torifune"). The high-speed flyby, scheduled for July 2026, is a Planetary Defense test to see how closely a craft can track a small, fast-moving object. On the International Space Station, Japanese astronauts recently successfully tested a new space life support system designed for a future Moon base. This includes a closed-loop water system and more importantly for the crew a specialized space rice cooker designed to produce perfect texture in zero gravity. In Tokyo, JAXA has partnered with local venues in Daikanyama to host Space Survival nights, where citizens can taste the actual dehydrated menus planned for the 2030 Lunar Base.

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