Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft is on a mission to collect samples from the asteroid 1998 KY26, but a newly released research paper raises the possibility that this object might actually be the long-lost Soviet spacecraft Phobos 1. This probe, which disappeared in 1988 due to a command error, has characteristics that align more with a derelict spacecraft than an asteroid. Researchers note that 1998 KY26 is only about 11 meters in diameter, spins rapidly, and reflects sunlight in a way that suggests it may not be a typical rocky asteroid. The trajectory of Phobos 1 could theoretically align with that of 1998 KY26, leading to speculation that they could be the same object or two separate entities on similar paths. Despite these intriguing claims, the consensus remains that 1998 KY26 is likely a rocky asteroid, possibly a type of smaller asteroid known as a “dark comet.” The true nature of the object will only be confirmed when Hayabusa2 arrives in 2031.