This means that the asteroid is even smaller than the dome on the telescope used to observe it, the VLT. With that achievement behind it, the spacecraft still has enough fuel to extend its mission for a 2031 rendezvous with 1998 KY26. While the observations have led the team to draw some conclusions about the nature of 1998 KY26, there remain two possibilities. Beyond supporting the Hayabusa2 mission, the new work is a benchmark for ground-based asteroid studies. The paper, “Hayabusa2 Extended Mission Target Asteroid 1998 KY26 is Smaller and Rotating Faster than Previously Known,” appeared in Nature Communications on September 18, 2025.