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7.
Hayabusa capsule on public display
The capsule of Japan's unmanned asteroid probe "Hayabusa" is on public display at a museum near Tokyo after a 7-year space journey.
The 6 billion kilometer round trip mission to the asteroid Itokawa was completed last month. The probe burnt up when it re-entered the atmosphere, but the capsule safely returned to Earth.
The 2-day exhibition began at the Sagamihara City Museum on Friday. More than 2,000 people formed a long line before the opening.
The capsule, the heat shield that protected the capsule from extreme heat when re-entering the atmosphere and the parachute are on display.
Visitors leaned forward for a closer look at the capsule and the scorched shield.
A junior high school student said he is excited to see the items, as he thinks the completion of the mission was a miracle.
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