✉news ScienceSpace Policy first seen 21 h ago, last 3 h ago, peak #16
Hayabusa2 Asteroid Probe's Last Working Engine Fails
Original: Last Working Engine of Hayabusa2 Asteroid Probe Breaks Down
Japan's Hayabusa2 asteroid probe has lost the last of its functioning engines, leaving the spacecraft without a propulsion system. The probe, which already returned samples from asteroid Ryugu to Earth, was on an extended mission. JAXA is expected to assess the failure and weigh options for the craft's future, with the exact impact on its remaining scientific goals still to be confirmed.
Why now: A major failure aboard one of Japan's flagship space missions raises doubts over the probe's extended mission plans.
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