Hayabusa2

Japanese space officials said they are excited about the return of a capsule that landed safely in the Australian Outback on Dec. 6 while carrying soil samples from a distant asteroid, and that they are eager to begin analyzing the "treasure" inside.

Japan's Hayabusa2 probe began descending on July 10 for its final touchdown on a distant asteroid, hoping to collect samples that could shed light on the evolution of the solar system.

AFP - A Japanese probe landed a new observation robot on an asteroid on Wednesday as it pursues a mission to shed light on the origins of the solar system.

The French-German Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout, or MASCOT, launched from the Hayabusa2 probe, landed safely on Ryugu and was in contact with its team, the lander's official Twitter account said.

A pair of robot rovers have landed on an asteroid and begun a survey, Japan's space agency said Saturday, as it conducts a mission aiming to shed light on the origins of the solar system.

The rover mission marks the world's first moving, robotic observation of an asteroid surface, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).