SCI/TECH: Stardust Spacecraft Catches Comets Tail

NASA's spacecraft, Stardust, passed safely within 200 miles of Comet Wild 2, collected particles that will be returned to the earth for analysis. The Stardust spacecraft will return to Earth in January 2006, and its sample return capsule will make a soft landing at the U.S. Air Force Utah Test and Training Range.

www.nasa.gov...

The collected microscopic particle samples of comet and interstellar dust will be taken to the planetary material curatorial facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, for analysis.

[Edited on 3-1-2004 by SkepticOverlord]

I read that the unmanned spacecraft also was to snap 72 black-and-white close-ups of the comet's nucleus, thought to be just 3.3 miles across.It will be interesting to see the results if it gets back in one piece.

I forgot all about the satellite... I remember first hearing about it sometime in 1997 or something. I can't wait to see what the results of the probing will show.

news.bbc.co.uk...

stardust.jpl.nasa.gov...

www.esa.int...

these are some great sites with some intresting stuff

Originally posted by The Real Deal
I read that the unmanned spacecraft also was to snap 72 black-and-white close-ups of the comet's nucleus, thought to be just 3.3 miles across.It will be interesting to see the results if it gets back in one piece.

Those photos will be beamed back here, so we won't have to wait for them. We'll just have to wait a couple of years for the comet bits and pieces to arrive.

Those photos will be beamed back here, so we won't have We'll just have to wait a couple of years for the comet bits and pieces to arrive.

how much of a chance is there that it might get burned up in the earths atmosphere ?

JungleJake looks like you was right..

First Images sent back.

www.wate.com...

Originally posted by SE7EN
how much of a chance is there that it might get burned up in the earths atmosphere ?

None. I'm sure NASA made it heat resistant for re-entry and we've burned up enough of the atmosphere in the past ten years through pollution that it should come down easily.

Cheers,
- Tass

According to the NASA page (Link Above) the rest of the images will be transmitted tommorow!