The first two photos were captured by JAXA officials on the ground in Australia showing the trail of fire and plasma left behind the Hayabusa mothership and re-entry capsule. The spacecraft entered the atmosphere at more than 27,000 mph and withstood temperatures of nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

The final four images were taken from a video captured aboard a NASA DC-8 airplane observing Hayabusa's re-entry over Australia. The Hayabusa spacecraft broke apart during the return as expected, but the mission's sample return capsule survived the re-entry and landed at the Woomera Prohibited Area in South Australia.

Hayabusa was returning on the first round-trip voyage to the surface of an asteroid, and the capsule could be carrying samples.

Photo credit: JAXA Ground Observation System   Photo credit: JAXA Ground Observation System   Photo credit: NASA/SETI Institute/University of North Dakota/Spaceflight Now   Photo credit: NASA/SETI Institute/University of North Dakota/Spaceflight Now   Photo credit: NASA/SETI Institute/University of North Dakota/Spaceflight Now   Photo credit: NASA/SETI Institute/University of North Dakota/Spaceflight Now