NASA's first asteroid samples fetched from deep space have parachuted into the United States to cap a seven-year journey.In a flyby of Earth, the Osiris-Rex spacecraft released the sample capsule on Sunday from 100,000 kilometres out. The small capsule landed four hours later (early Monday AEST) on a remote expanse of military land in Utah, as the mothership set off after another asteroid.Scientists estimate the capsule holds at least a cup of rubble from the carbon-rich asteroid known as Bennu, but won't know for sure until the container is opened. Some spilled and floated away when the spacecraft scooped up too much and rocks jammed the container's lid during collection three years ago.
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