Space capsule due home after visit to asteroid

SCIENTISTS will be eagerly scanning the night sky over the Australian outback this weekend for the long-delayed return of the first spacecraft to complete a round-trip journey to an asteroid.

Launched by Japan in 2003, the Hayabusa capsule has travelled 4 billion kilometres in seven years and is expected to land in the desert of South Australia state this Sunday night.

Hayabusa is expected to be carrying space material collected during its two brief landings on the asteroid, which will offer insights into the creation and makeup of the solar system.

Trevor Ireland, associate director for Earth Chemistry at Australian National University, said: “Hayabusa has sampled an asteroid in situ and soon we will have in hand an actual asteroid.

“Any sample coming back from will be a major scientific prize for us.”

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency built and launched the asteroid explorer, which landed on its target in late 2005.