A Japanese space capsule that has travelled around the solar system as part of the first mission to land on an asteroid and return to earth has been collected by scientists, an official said yesterday.

The basketball-sized capsule, which flashed to earth and landed in the remote Outback late on Sunday, has arrived at the Woomera control centre, Australian defence force spokesman Lindsay Campbell said.

"The helicopter (carrying the capsule) has just landed," he said.

The pod lay in the desert dust overnight before scientists from the Japanese space agency JAXA were given the go-ahead to retrieve it after local Aboriginal elders deemed it had not landed in any sacred sites.

Scientists hope the probe contains dust samples from the far-flung Itokawa asteroid which could reveal clues to the early history of the solar system and the formation of the planets.

Mr Campbell said the probe was safely packed inside a box and was being wheeled along the Tarmac to the Woomera test zone control base.

"It's kind of weird that a little box could have the answers to the universe in it. It's a pretty amazing moment," he said.

Director of the Woomera test range Doug Gerrie said the probe had completed a textbook landing in the remote South Australian desert and had avoided any sensitive sites sacred to the area's Aborigines.

He said the probe would have been subjected to a rigorous process of checks to disarm any hazardous components, such as batteries, rocket motors or sensors before it was moved. Australian Customs officials would also give the object a once-over.

"They have got their processes and it is better not to break them," Mr Gerrie said, despite noting the extraordinary nature of the item.