25143 Itokawa asteroid

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Human exploration of the solar system reached new heights with the discovery of 25143 Itokawa, an Apollo and Mars-crosser asteroid that paved the way for groundbreaking missions like Hayabusa, Japan's pioneering space probe. This remarkable asteroid made history as the first to be targeted by a sample return mission, and it also holds the distinction of being the smallest asteroid ever photographed up close by a spacecraft.