1.
probe; exploration vehicle; explorer spacecraft
An unmanned vehicle or device sent to investigate or gather data, especially in space exploration.
探査 (exploration, probing) + 機 (machine, device). Most commonly used in the context of space exploration to refer to unmanned spacecraft. Can also refer to deep-sea probes or other remote exploration devices.
Common collocations
- 惑星探査機 — planetary probe
- 月探査機 — lunar probe
- 小惑星探査機 — asteroid probe
- 深海探査機 — deep-sea probe
- 無人探査機 — unmanned probe
Cultural note
Japan's はやぶさ (Hayabusa) asteroid probe became a national sensation when it returned samples from the asteroid Itokawa in 2010. Its successor, はやぶさ2, completed a similar mission to asteroid Ryugu in 2020.