September 26, 2025
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Breaking News
  • [ September 26, 2025 ] Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser debut mission delayed again, no longer docking to station News
  • [ September 25, 2025 ] SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Falcon 9
  • [ September 25, 2025 ] ULA launches third batch of Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites from Cape Canaveral Atlas 5
  • [ September 25, 2025 ] SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Falcon 9
  • [ September 24, 2025 ] SpaceX launches NASA, NOAA missions exploring the impacts of the Sun Falcon 9

Australian Space Agency

Mission Reports

Scientists thrilled with asteroid treasure returned by Japanese spacecraft

December 15, 2020 Stephen Clark

Japanese space agency officials said Tuesday they found a “large number” of pitch black rock and dust particles after opening a capsule returned to Earth earlier this month by the Hayabusa 2 mission, giving eager scientists their first significant specimens ever brought back from an asteroid.

Mission Reports

Japanese capsule carrying asteroid rocks lands in Australia after six-year mission

December 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

An armored re-entry capsule carrying pristine specimens from an asteroid streaked into Earth’s atmosphere and parachuted to a landing in the Australian outback Saturday, bringing home extraterrestrial rocks that could hold clues to the origin of life on Earth.

Mission Reports

Live coverage: Hayabusa 2 asteroid sample return capsule lands in Australia

December 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

Japan’s Hayabusa 2 mission returned to Earth Saturday after a six-year mission to collect samples from asteroid Ryugu. The mission’s sample return capsule landed in in the Australian outback around shortly before 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT) Saturday.

Mission Reports

Japanese asteroid sampling mission on course for return to Earth

December 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

Six years after departing Earth, Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft released a spinning capsule Saturday containing pristine asteroid material for a scorching re-entry and landing in the remote Australian outback, where teams are standing by to retrieve the specimens for analysis.

Mission Reports

Asteroid samples aboard Japanese probe on track for return to Earth in December

July 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

A capsule carrying extraterrestrial specimens collected by Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft is scheduled for landing in South Australia on Dec. 6 to wrap up a six-year round-trip mission to an asteroid, officials announced this week.

News Headlines

  • Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser debut mission delayed again, no longer docking to station
    September 26, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg
    September 25, 2025
  • ULA launches third batch of Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites from Cape Canaveral
    September 25, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral
    September 25, 2025
  • SpaceX launches NASA, NOAA missions exploring the impacts of the Sun
    September 24, 2025
  • A geologist, a former SpaceX launch director and a commercial astronaut; meet NASA’s 10 new astronaut candidates
    September 22, 2025
  • NRO, SpaceX launch reconnaissance satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB
    September 22, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on Sunday sunrise Falcon 9 flight
    September 20, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral
    September 17, 2025
  • NASA, Northrop Grumman postpone Cygnus XL arrival to ISS following propulsion issue
    September 16, 2025
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