An analysis of some 1,500 particles found in the Hayabusa explorer's capsule revealed that most of them originated from rocks on the asteroid Itokawa, according to the Japanese science and technology minister, Yoshiaki Takaki on Tuesday.

It is the first time that a specimen of material from an asteroid has been obtained, the Kyodo News reported.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to examine these particles further in cooperation with scientists across the country, with the hope of shedding light on the solar system's origin, as Itokawa is said to have maintained its form from the time the solar system was created 4.6 billion years ago, Kyodo said.

Hayabusa was launched in 2003. It reached an asteroid named Itokawa in 2005 and made two touchdowns on it in November the same year. The spacecraft experienced a fuel leak and loss of contact with Earth for seven weeks before returning to earth in June.