Japan retrieves space probe that may hold clues to origin of planets

In this handout image from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), a fireball from Hayabusa2's capsule carrying the first extensive samples of an asteroid is seen as it reentered the earth's atmosphere while it is observed at Coober Pedy, Australia, December 6, 2020. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency [JAXA, Handout via Reuters]

Japan has retrieved a space probe from Australia’s remote outback after a six-year mission that may help reveal more about the origins of the planets, the Asian nation’s space agency said on Sunday.

A capsule from the unmanned Hayabusa2, carrying the first extensive samples of dust from an asteroid, was flown by helicopter from the outback to a domestic research facility of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).