Stardust
On January 2, 2004, Stardust flew within 236 kilometers of Comet Wild 2 and captured thousands of particles in its aerogel collector for return on Earth in January 2006. The encounter - the closest approach to a comet yet - revealed a much stranger world than previously believed.
Stardust Mission Cool Facts
Stardust is the first U.S. mission launched to robotically obtain samples in deep space & return them to Earth. Stardust is the first NASA mission dedicated to exploring a comet. Comets are leftover materials that formed of the planets & the Sun more than 4.5 billion years ago & contain many of the organic materials thought to be essential for the origin of life. Comet Wild 2, the destination of Stardust, almost collided with Jupiter in 1974, causing its orbit to be deflected closer to the Sun.
Stardust is the first U.S. mission launched to robotically obtain samples in deep space & return them to Earth. Stardust is the first NASA mission dedicated to exploring a comet. Comets are leftover materials that formed of the planets & the Sun more than 4.5 billion years ago & contain many of the organic materials thought to be essential for the origin of life. Comet Wild 2, the destination of Stardust, almost collided with Jupiter in 1974, causing its orbit to be deflected closer to the Sun.