Fast moving swirling like what you saw on movie Armageddon
Hayabusa-2: Capsule with asteroid samples in 'perfect' shape
By Paul Rincon
Science editor, BBC News website
Published3 hours ago
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IMAGE COPYRIGHTJAXA / EPA
image captionA team member carries the capsule, which contains samples from an asteroid
A capsule containing the first significant quantities of rock from an asteroid is in "perfect" shape, according to scientists.
The container with material from a space rock called Ryugu parachuted down near Woomera in South Australia on Saturday evening (GMT).
A recovery team in Australia found the spacecraft lying on the sandy ground, with its parachute draped over a tree.
The samples were originally collected by the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa-2.
The spacecraft spent more than a year investigating Ryugu before returning to Earth. As it approached our planet, Hayabusa-2 released the capsule with the samples and fired its engines to push off in another direction.
The capsule, meanwhile, entered the Earth's atmosphere.
The official Hayabusa-2 Twitter account reported that the capsule and its parachute had been found at 19:47 GMT.
"Hayabusa-2 is home," Dr Yuichi Tsuda, project manager for the mission, said at a press conference on Sunday morning (GMT) in Sagamihara, Japan.
"We collected the treasure box," he said, adding: "The capsule collection was perfectly done."
He said there was no damage to the container.
Hayabusa-2: Capsule with asteroid samples in 'perfect' shape
By Paul Rincon
Science editor, BBC News website
Published3 hours ago
Share
image captionA team member carries the capsule, which contains samples from an asteroid
A capsule containing the first significant quantities of rock from an asteroid is in "perfect" shape, according to scientists.
The container with material from a space rock called Ryugu parachuted down near Woomera in South Australia on Saturday evening (GMT).
A recovery team in Australia found the spacecraft lying on the sandy ground, with its parachute draped over a tree.
The samples were originally collected by the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa-2.
The spacecraft spent more than a year investigating Ryugu before returning to Earth. As it approached our planet, Hayabusa-2 released the capsule with the samples and fired its engines to push off in another direction.
The capsule, meanwhile, entered the Earth's atmosphere.
The official Hayabusa-2 Twitter account reported that the capsule and its parachute had been found at 19:47 GMT.
"Hayabusa-2 is home," Dr Yuichi Tsuda, project manager for the mission, said at a press conference on Sunday morning (GMT) in Sagamihara, Japan.
"We collected the treasure box," he said, adding: "The capsule collection was perfectly done."
He said there was no damage to the container.
