August 25, 2025
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Breaking News
  • [ August 25, 2025 ] Cargo ship docks with International Space Station Mission Reports
  • [ August 24, 2025 ] SpaceX scrubs crucial 10th test flight of Starship Mission Reports
  • [ August 24, 2025 ] NASA, SpaceX launch Dragon to the ISS on extended cargo, station boosting mission Falcon 9
  • [ August 23, 2025 ] Launch preview: NASA, SpaceX to launch Cargo Dragon on a mission to boost space station orbit Falcon 9
  • [ August 22, 2025 ] SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB Falcon 9

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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

  • Cargo ship docks with International Space Station
    August 25, 2025
  • SpaceX scrubs crucial 10th test flight of Starship
    August 24, 2025
  • NASA, SpaceX launch Dragon to the ISS on extended cargo, station boosting mission
    August 24, 2025
  • Launch preview: NASA, SpaceX to launch Cargo Dragon on a mission to boost space station orbit
    August 23, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg SFB
    August 22, 2025
  • SpaceX launches Space Force’s X-37B spaceplane to demo laser communications, quantum navigation
    August 22, 2025
  • Launch preview: SpaceX to launch X-37B military spaceplane on Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center
    August 20, 2025
  • Firefly Aerospace explores launching its Alpha rocket from Japan
    August 20, 2025
  • SpaceX flies 24 Starlink satellites on its 100th Falcon 9 rocket launch of 2025
    August 17, 2025
  • SpaceX schedules 10th test flight for Starship, details recent setbacks
    August 16, 2025
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