* Astronomy

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RE: HAYABUSA (MUSES-C) mission

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Japanese scientists began the process on Monday of retrieving the Hayabusa capsule from the Australian Outback.
The canister and its delivery spacecraft fell to Earth during the night, the culmination of a seven-year round trip to asteroid Itokawa.
The first photo of the capsule, which landed in the Woomera Prohibited Area, shows it still attached to a parachute.
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Picture of capsule body discovered, and parachute

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Credit JAXA

Blobrana · L

A helicopter located the reentry capsule in the expected landing area at 23:56, 13th June, 2010 (JST).

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NHK Hayabusa Re-Entry News

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Hayabusa

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Jaxa, Japan's space agency, confirmed the Hayabusa probe's successful return to Earth from a seven-year mission, after the news agency reported that "a trace of light," believed to be the spacecraft, had been spotted in the atmosphere.
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Blobrana · L

Update:
The Hayabusa reentry capsule has been discovered in the Woomera Prohibited Area. JAXA will retrieving it on the afternoon of the 14th June, 2010 (JST).

Blobrana · L

Update:
The "Peregrine" capsule has currently not been found.

Helicopters will continue the search tomorrow morning.

Blobrana · L

Asteroid mission returns to Earth

A capsule thought to contain the first samples grabbed from the surface of an asteroid has returned to Earth.
The Japanese Hayabusa container hit the top of the atmosphere just after 13:50 GMT, producing a bright fireball over southern Australia.
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Ed ~ JAXA have confirmed that they have located the return capsule, and will retrieve it on the afternoon of 14th June.