Stardust
Returning Comet Dust to Earth
Stardust captured particles from comet Wild 2 in aerogel and returned them to Earth, then continued on an extended mission to image comet Tempel 1 after Deep Impact.
Object type
Comet sample-return spacecraft
Primary target
Comet Wild 2
Known for
First comet samples returned to Earth
TransitSatellite connection
Stardust connects comet flybys, sample-return technology, aerogel collection, Deep Impact's Tempel 1 target, and laboratory analysis.
Objective
Bring comet material into the laboratory
Stardust flew through Wild 2's coma and used ultra-low-density aerogel to capture fast-moving particles while limiting damage to the samples.
Sample return
From comet flyby to Earth laboratory
The sample-return capsule separated from the spacecraft and landed in Utah in 2006, giving scientists direct cometary material for detailed analysis.
Stardust-NExT
Return to Tempel 1
The surviving spacecraft was retargeted to Tempel 1, allowing scientists to compare the comet with observations made around Deep Impact's 2005 collision.
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