Japan's Hayabusa2 probe loses its last working ion engine, JAXA plans a fix

Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft has lost its last operational ion engine after Engine B's ion source failed in mid-August, though its neutralizer still works. JAXA engineers plan to rewire the circuitry to pair Engine B's neutralizer with the healthy ion source of Engine D, with a restart possible as early as late October. The fix is critical for reaching asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031.

• Hayabusa2 carries four xenon ion engines: A, B, C and D
• Engines A, C and D degraded earlier; Engine B failed in mid-August
• JAXA will pair Engine B's neutralizer with Engine D's ion source
• The extended mission targets asteroid 1998 KY26 in 2031