Japanese space officials eager to analyse asteroid ‘treasure’

A Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency member retrieves the capsule dropped by Hayabusa2 in Woomera, southern Australia, on Sunday (JAXA via AP)

Japanese space officials said they were excited about the return of a capsule that landed safely in the Australian outback on Sunday carrying soil samples from a distant asteroid, and were eager to begin analysing the “treasure” inside.

The capsule’s delivery by Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft completes its six-year sample-return mission and opens the door for research into finding clues to the origin of the solar system and life on Earth.