Japan delays touchdown of Hayabusa2 probe by THREE months

A Japanese probe sent to examine an asteroid will now land several months later than planned, officials have confirmed. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) says the high-profile Hayabusa2 is expected to touch down on Ryugu at least three months behind schedule. Specifically, they cite'late January' as the earliest possible opportunity, rather than the end of this month - which was the original time-frame. JAXA project manager Yuichi Tsuda said they needed more time to prepare the landing as data showed the asteroid surface was more rugged than expected. A Japanese probe sent to examine an asteroid will now land several months later than planned, officials have confirmed.