June 21, 2025
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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

  • Next Starship explodes on test stand
    June 19, 2025
  • Firefly Aerospace aims to deploy first commercial lunar imaging service
    June 18, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral
    June 17, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 26 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB
    June 16, 2025
  • Atlas 5 booster engine issue causes scrub of Monday’s Kuiper 2 launch
    June 15, 2025
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  • Live
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