Hayabusa2 Probe Returning to Earth from Ryugu Written 19 November 2019

Reuters reports that JAXA’s Hayabusa2 space probe is heading back to Earth “after collecting sub-surface samples that could help scientists seeking the origins of life, Japan’s space agency said on Monday.” The spacecraft will travel “home from an asteroid 250 million km (155 million miles)” away which is called Ryugu. A spokeswoman for JAXA said that if successful, it will be the first mission to return samples from beneath the surface of an asteroid. Hayabusa2 will stop sending images to Earth “on Monday or Tuesday before its main engine is activated for the year-long flight, JAXA said.”
Full Story (Reuters)