Missions in Space - Stardust
Launched 7 February 1999
Stardust space probe
© NASA
NASA's Stardust space probe is combing space for grains of dust (tiny specks of solid matter smaller than one-hundredth the width of a human hair) that are found everywhere in the galaxy. This dust is often referred to as interstellar dust.
The mission will use a special formulation of aerogel, the world's lightest solid, to try to capture these small solid particles as the spacecraft travels in the same direction as the dust stream.
Launch of Stardust space probe
© NASA
It is interesting to note that these interstellar dust particles are made of varying amounts of most of the elements found in the periodic table, and it is possible that they could carry organic molecules (building blocks for life) between the stars. A most interesting possibility!
This part of the mission was completed by December 9, 2002.
The second part of the mission is to collect and return the first samples from a comet
(comet Wild 2). This takes place on 2nd January 2004 with samples then returned to Earth.
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