Particles Found from Japanese Asteroid Probe Capsule

Tokyo, July 5 (Jiji Press)--Japan's space agency said Monday it has
found particles inside the capsule that the unmanned spacecraft Hayabusa
brought back after a journey to the asteroid Itokawa.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, better known as JAXA, made
the confirmation by optical microscopy. The particles could be the first
samples brought back to Earth from an asteroid.
JAXA said it will analyze elements constituting the particles to
see if they are from Itokawa or Earth. Officials said it is possible the
particles may be those that had made their way into the capsule before
Hayabusa was launched.
Hayabusa returned to Earth on June 13 Japan time after seven years
of voyage. Its body burned up during its reentry into the atmosphere but the
capsule safely landed on the desert in southern Australia.
The capsule was later recovered and sent to Japan. On June 24, JAXA
stared work to open the capsule at its special facility in Sagamihara,
Kanagawa Prefecture, eastern Japan.

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