JAXA Scientists Find Trace Gas in HABAYUSA Capsule

Japan lab finds trace of gas in deep space asteroid pod
AFP

Japan’s space agency said it had found a trace of gas Thursday in a capsule thought to contain asteroid dust that was brought back to Earth after a multi-billion-kilometre (mile) space journey.

Researchers at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Sagamihara Campus in Kanagawa began opening the Hayabusa capsule, a process expected to take about a week, JAXA said. Opening the capsule on Thursday, they collected a trace of gas, a JAXA spokeswoman said.

Scientists hope any dust samples from the ancient asteroid in the capsule could help reveal secrets about the origins of the solar system.

“If the capsule contains fragments of at least 10 micron (0.01 millimetre), researchers can make an analysis,” the spokeswoman said.

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