Stardust mission

E654373

The Stardust mission was a NASA space probe that collected and returned samples from the coma of comet Wild 2 and interstellar dust to Earth for detailed laboratory analysis.

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Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form Occurrences
Stardust 0
Stardust sample return capsule 1

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf NASA space probe
sample-return mission
alsoKnownAs Stardust (spacecraft) NERFINISHED
asteroidAnnefrankFlybyDate 2002-11-02
closestApproachToWild2Date 2004-01-02
closestApproachToWild2Distance about 240 kilometers
collected coma dust from Comet Wild 2
interstellar dust particles
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
encountered asteroid Annefrank NERFINISHED
endOfMission 2011-03-24
endOfMissionEvent spacecraft commanded to safe end-of-mission configuration
extendedMission Stardust-NExT NERFINISHED
firstTo return cometary dust samples to Earth
return solid samples from beyond the Moon to Earth
flybyOf Comet 81P/Wild 2 NERFINISHED
launchDate 1999-02-07
launchSite Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 17A NERFINISHED
launchVehicle Delta II 7426 NERFINISHED
managedBy NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory NERFINISHED
massAtLaunch about 385 kilograms
missionObjective collect interstellar dust particles
collect samples from the coma of Comet Wild 2
return collected samples to Earth for laboratory analysis
study interstellar dust properties
study the composition and structure of cometary dust
missionType comet sample-return mission
interstellar dust collection mission
operator NASA
powerSource solar arrays
primaryTarget Comet 81P/Wild 2 NERFINISHED
program NASA Discovery Program NERFINISHED
reentrySpeed about 12.9 kilometers per second
returnedSamplesTo Earth NERFINISHED
sampleCollectionMedium aerogel
sampleReturnCapsule Stardust Sample Return Capsule NERFINISHED
sampleReturnDate 2006-01-15
sampleReturnLandingSite Utah Test and Training Range NERFINISHED
scientificInstruments Comet and Interstellar Dust Analyzer NERFINISHED
Dust Flux Monitor Instrument NERFINISHED
Navigation Camera NERFINISHED
Sample Collection Grids with aerogel
scientificResults detection of high-temperature minerals in cometary dust
evidence for mixing of materials from inner and outer solar system in comets
identification of organic compounds in cometary samples
spacecraftType solar-powered spacecraft
Tempel1FlybyDate 2011-02-15
trajectoryType heliocentric orbit
visitedDuringExtendedMission Comet 9P/Tempel 1 NERFINISHED

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Donald Brownlee knownFor Stardust mission
NASA PICA usedOnSpacecraft Stardust mission
this entity surface form: Stardust sample return capsule