The asteroid 1998SF36 has been renamed ITOKAWA.

The asteroid 1998SF36 which is the destination of "Hayabusa"(MUSES-C) spacecraft launched from Kagoshima Space Center on May 9, 2003, has been renamed ITOKAWA by International Astronomical Union after the name of late Prof. Hideo Itokawa, "the Father of Space Development in Japan".

October 1, 2003