Japan's Hayabusa2 on homeward journey with main engines activated

Japan's space agency said Tuesday its Hayabusa2 probe is now homeward bound after activating its main engines following completion of its mission to collect samples from an asteroid.The probe is set to travel around 800 million kilometers to deliver the samples from the Ryugu asteroid to Earth in November or December next year, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.Hayabusa2 left the asteroid on Nov. 13, five years after its launch, and tested its ion engines from Nov. 20 to Monday before beginning the return journey.If organic matter is found in the samples, it could lead to …READ FULL ARTICLE