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Jan. 16, 2016

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NASA's Stardust Sample

Return was 10 Years Ago
Today

(/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/stardustcapsule.jpg)
ThesamplereturncapsulefromNASA'sStardustmission
successfullylandedattheU.S.AirForce'sUtahTestandTraining
RangeinDugway,Utah,at2:10a.m.Pacific(3:10a.m.Mountain)
onJanuary15,2006.Thecapsulecarriedcometaryand
interstellarsamplesgatheredbytheStardustspacecraft.
Credits:NASA

ItwaslessthananhourintothenewdayofJanuary15,
2006(EST),whentensofthousandsofmilesaboveour
planet,twocablecuttersandtworetentionboltsfired,
releasingaspringwhichpusheda101pound(46
kilogram)samplereturncapsuleawayfromitsmother
ship.Later,duringitsfinalplungeEarthward,the
capsulewouldbecomethefastesthumanmadeobject
toenterouratmosphere,achievingavelocityofabout
28,600mph(12.8kilometerspersecond).
Then,at5:10a.m.EST(3:10a.m.MST),forthefirst
timeinsevenyears,thesamplereturncapsulefinally
stoppedmoving.Bythetimeitlanded,underparachute
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inthedesertsaltflatsoftheU.S.AirForce'sUtahTest
andTrainingRangeinDugway,thecapsulehad
travelled2.88billionmiles(4.5billionkilometers)a
journeythatcarrieditaroundthesunthreetimesandas
faroutashalfwaytoJupiter.InsidetheStardust
mission'sgraphiteepoxycoveredcapsulewasthe
objectiveofitsprimemissionhumanity'sfirstsamples
collectedfromacelestialbodyindeepspace(beyond
theEarthmoonsystem).
"TheStardustsamplereturncapsulecarriedinside
cometarymaterialitgatheredfromcometWild2during
aflybyinJanuaryof2004,"saidDonBrownlee,Stardust
principalinvestigatorfromtheUniversityofWashington,
Seattle."Thespacecraftdeployedatennisracketlike,
aerogellinedcollector,andweflewthespacecraftwithin
150miles(241kilometers),capturingparticlesfromthe
comaaswewent."
Twodaysafterthereturn,thesamplereturncapsule's
sciencecanisteranditscargoofcometandinterstellar
dustparticleswasstowedinsideaspecialaluminum
carryingcaseandtransportedtoacuratorialfacilityat
NASA'sJohnsonSpaceCenterinHouston.Eileen
StansberynowChiefScientistatJohnsonworked
onStardustasthedeputydirectorofAstromaterials
ResearchandExplorationScienceatthetime."Wewere
investigatingbigquestionswiththesmallestsamples
howdidoursolarsystemform?Whatarewemadeof?
Thiscometisrepresentativeofoneofthemostprimitive
bodiesinthesolarsystem,preservingtheearliest
recordofmaterialfromthenebuladuringthe
'planetesimal'formingstageinitsevolution."
Brownleenotes,"Thescienceteamcouldn'twaittoget
theirhandsonthesamples.Ithadbeen10yearsof
planningandthensevenmoreyearsfortheactual
mission,soeveryonewasraringtogo."
TheStardustmission'sinternationalteamofscientists
200stronghelpedrewritethebookoncometsand
theevolutionofthesolarsystem.TheStardustmission
samplesindicatedthatsomecometsmayhaveincluded
materialsejectedfromtheearlysunandmayhave
formedverydifferentlythanscientistshadtheorized.
"Whatwefoundwasremarkable,"saidBrownlee.
"Insteadofrockymaterialsthatformedaroundprevious
generationsofstars,wefoundthatmostofthecomet's
rockymatterformedinsideoursolarsystemat

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NASA'sStardustSampleReturnwas10YearsAgoToday|NASA

extremelyhightemperature.Ingreatcontrasttoitsice,
ourcomet'srockymaterialhadformedunderwhitehot
conditions."
Cometiceformedincoldregionsbeyondtheplanet
Neptune,buttherocks,probablythebulkofanycomet's
mass,formedmuchclosertothesuninregionshot
enoughtoevaporatebricks.ThematerialsthatStardust
collectedfromcometWild2containpresolar"stardust"
grains,identifiedonthebasisoftheirunusualisotopic
composition,butthesegrainsareveryrare.
"Eventhoughweconfirmedcometsareancientbodies
withanabundanceoficesomewhichformedafew
tensofdegreesaboveabsolutezeroattheedgeofthe
solarsystemwenowknowthatcometsarereallya
mixofmaterialsmadebyconditionsofboth'fireand
ice,'"saidBrownlee.
WhileStardustwasthefirstdeepspacesamplereturn
mission,itwasbynomeansthelast.TheJapanese
SpaceAgency(JAXA's)Hayabusamissioncollected
samplesfromanasteroidandreturnedthemtoEarthin
2010,andtheHayabusa2missiontoreturnmaterial
fromasteroidRyuguiscurrentlyunderway.Stilltocome
isNASA'sOSIRISRexmission.Scheduledtolaunchin
Septemberofthisyear,OSIRISRExwilltraveltothe
nearEarthasteroidBennuandretrieveatleast2.1
ounces(60grams)ofsurfacematerialandreturnitto
Earthforstudy.
"Thewaystoexplorespaceareprobablyasbigas
spaceitself,"saidBrownlee."Butformymoney,you
can'tbeatsamplereturn.Havingsamplesthereinfront
ofyou,availableforlaboratoryanalysiswhenyouwant
that'stoughtobeat."
AnotherthingaboutStardustthatwastoughtobeatwas
thespacecraftitself.LaunchedonFeb.7,1999,
StardustflewpastanasteroidknownasAnnefrank,flew
pastandcollectedparticlesamplesfromcometWild2,
andreturnedthoseparticlestoEarthinasamplereturn
capsuleinJanuary2006.Asplanned,theStardust
spacecraftdidnotreenterEarth'satmospherealong
withitssamplereturncapsule.Instead,itwentintoa
solarorbit.NASAthenretaskedthestillhealthy
spacecrafttoperformaflybyofcometTempel1onFeb.
14,2011.
Formoreinformationontheprimemissionofthe
Stardustspacecraft,pleasevisit:

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NASA'sStardustSampleReturnwas10YearsAgoToday|NASA

http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov
(http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov)
FormoreinformationontheStardustNExTmission,
pleasevisit:
http://stardustnext.jpl.nasa.gov
(http://stardustnext.jpl.nasa.gov)
FormoreinformationontheOSIRISRExmission,visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/osiris
rex/index.html
(https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/osiris
rex/index.html)
DCAgle
JetPropulsionLaboratory,Pasadena,California
8183939011
agle@jpl.nasa.gov(mailto:agle@jpl.nasa.gov)
2016012
LastUpdated:Jan.16,2016
Editor:TonyGreicius

Tags: Asteroids
(/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html), Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (/centers/jpl/home/index.html), Solar System
(/topics/solarsystem/index.html)

Dawn (/mission_pages/dawn/main/index.html)

Jan. 12, 2016

New Details On Ceres Seen

in Dawn Images

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NASA'sStardustSampleReturnwas10YearsAgoToday|NASA

Tags: Asteroids
(/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html), Ceres
(/subject/6883/ceres), Dawn
(/mission_pages/dawn/main/index.html), Dwarf Planets
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Read Full Article

Asteroids (/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html)

Dec. 24, 2015

Radar Images of a
Christmas-Eve Asteroid:
An Early Gift for
Astronomers

Tags: Asteroids
(/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html), Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (/centers/jpl/home/index.html), Solar System
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Asteroids (/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html)

Dec. 18, 2015

Asteroid Looks Even Better

Second Time Around
Radar Teamwork Captures Cle...

Tags: Asteroids
(/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html), Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (/centers/jpl/home/index.html), Solar System
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Read Full Article

NEOWISE
(http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/neowise/main/index.html)
Nov. 24, 2015

NEOWISE Observes
Carbon Gases in Comets
(/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia20119.jpg)
AnexpandedviewofcometC/2006W3(Christensen)isshownhere.The
WISEspacecraftobservedthiscometonApril20th,2010asittraveled
throughtheconstellationSagittarius.CometChristensenwasnearly370
millionmiles(600millionkilometers)fromEarthatthetime.Theextentof
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thedust,aboutatenthofadegreeacrossinthisimage,isabout2/3rds
thediameterofthesun.Theredcontoursshowthesignalfromthegas
emissionobservedbytheWISEspacecraftinthe4.6micronwavelength
channel,whichcontainscarbonmonoxide(CO)andcarbondioxide

Tags: Asteroids
(/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html), Comets
(http://www.nasa.gov/comets), Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(/centers/jpl/home/index.html), NEOWISE
(http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/neowise/main/index.html)
Solar System (/topics/solarsystem/index.html), WISE (Widefield Infrared Survey Explorer)
(http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/WISE/main/index.html)
Read Full Article

NEOWISE
(http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/neowise/main/index.html)

(/sites/default/files/pia17254-full_5.jpg)
Nov. 12, 2015

Secondhand Spacecraft
Has Firsthand Asteroid
Experience
SinceitbeganoperationsinDecember2009,NASAs
NEOWISEmissionhasobserved158,000asteroidsand
discoveredmorethan35,000.
TheNEOWISEmissionhuntsfornearEarthobjects
(NEOs)usingtheWidefieldInfraredSurveyExplorer
(WISE)spacecraft.FundedbyNASAsNEO
ObservationsProgram,theNEOWISEmissionuses
imagestakenbythespacecrafttolookforasteroidsand
Tags: Asteroids
(/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html), Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (/centers/jpl/home/index.html), NEOWISE
(http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/neowise/main/index.html)
Solar System (/topics/solarsystem/index.html)
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Solar System (/topics/solarsystem/index.html)

Read Full Article

Asteroids (/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html)

Nov. 4, 2015

Radar Images Provide New

Details on Halloween
Asteroid

Tags: Asteroids
(/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html), Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (/centers/jpl/home/index.html), Solar System
(/topics/solarsystem/index.html)
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Asteroids (/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html)

Oct. 31, 2015

Halloween Skies to Include

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Halloween Skies to Include

Dead Comet Flyby
(/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/animation_2015_tb145
1041x1041.gif)
ThisanimatedGIFwasgeneratedusingradardatacollectedbytheNational
ScienceFoundation's1,000foot(305meter)AreciboObservatoryinPuerto
Rico.ThesixradarimagesusedintheanimationweretakenonOct.30,2015,
andtheimageresolutionis25feet(7.5meters)perpixel.
Credits:NAICArecibo/NSF

Tags: Asteroids
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Read Full Article

Dawn (/mission_pages/dawn/main/index.html)

Oct. 27, 2015

Dawn Heads Toward Final

Orbit
(/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia19996.png)
ThismosaicshowsCeres'Occatorcraterandsurroundingterrainfrom
analtitudeof915miles(1,470kilometers),asseenbyNASA'sDawn
spacecraft.Occatorisabout60miles(90kilometers)acrossand2miles
(4kilometers)deep.
Credits:NASA/JPLCaltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA
Fullimageandcaption(http://www.nasa.gov/image
feature/jpl/pia19996/occatorandsurroundingterrain)

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(/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html), Dawn
(/mission_pages/dawn/main/index.html), Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (/centers/jpl/home/index.html), Solar System
(/topics/solarsystem/index.html)
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Asteroids (/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html)

Oct. 22, 2015

NASA Spots the Great

Pumpkin: Halloween
Asteroid a Treat for Radar
Astronomers
Halloween Asteroid is a Radar ...

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(/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html), Jet Propulsion
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Rosetta (http://www.nasa.gov/rosetta/)

Oct. 2, 2015

Rosettas First Peek at the

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Rosettas First Peek at the

Comets Dark Side

Tags: Asteroids
(/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html), Comets
(http://www.nasa.gov/comets), Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(/centers/jpl/home/index.html), Rosetta
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Asteroids (/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html)

Sept. 30, 2015

Comet Feature Named

After Late NASA Scientist
Claudia Alexander
(/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia198381041.jpg)
ScientistsfromtheEuropeanSpaceAgency'sRosettateamhave
honoredtwolateteammembersbynamingcometfeaturesafterthem.
Thecometis67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko,wherethemission
successfullylandedaprobe.Oneofthefeaturesisshownhereinthese
Rosettaimages,withthepictureontherightbeingacloseupview.The
"C.AlexanderGate"isfoundonthecomet'ssmallerlobe,andis
dedicatedtoClaudiaAlexander,theU.S.projectscientistfromNASA'sJet
PropulsionLaboratory,Pasadena,California,whopassedawayinJulyof
thisyear.Imagecreditleft:ESA'scometviewerhttp://sci.esa.int/comet

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Tags: Asteroids
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Dawn (/mission_pages/dawn/main/index.html)

Sept. 9, 2015

Ceres' Bright Spots Seen in

Striking New Detail
Circling Occator Crater on Cere...

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Solar System and Beyond (/topics/solarsystem/index.html)

Sept. 2, 2015
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Comet Hitchhiker Would

Take Tour of Small Bodies

(/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/hitchhikerconceptart1_nourl_m

ThisartistconceptshowsCometHitchhiker,anideafortravelingbetweenasteroidsand
usingaharpoonandtethersystem.
Credits:NASA/JPLCaltech/CorneliusDammrich
()

(/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/hitchhikerconceptart2_nour
Tags: Asteroids
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Read Full Article

Dawn (/mission_pages/dawn/main/index.html)

Aug. 25, 2015

Dawn Sends Sharper

Scenes from Ceres

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Tags: Asteroids
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(/subject/6883/ceres), Dawn
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(/topics/solarsystem/index.html)
Read Full Article

Asteroids (/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html)

(/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/globe20150819wide1800.jpg)
Aug. 20, 2015

NASA: There is No Asteroid

Threatening Earth
Numerousrecentblogsandwebpostingsare
erroneouslyclaimingthatanasteroidwillimpactEarth,
sometimebetweenSept.15and28,2015.Ononeof
thosedates,asrumorsgo,therewillbeanimpact
"evidently"nearPuertoRicocausingwanton
destructiontotheAtlanticandGulfcoastsoftheUnited
StatesandMexico,aswellasCentralandSouth
America.

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Asteroids (/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html)
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Asteroids (/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html)
Aug. 12, 2015

Rosetta Comet Outburst

Captured

Tags: Asteroids
(/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html), Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (/centers/jpl/home/index.html), Rosetta
(http://www.nasa.gov/rosetta/), Solar System
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Asteroids (/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html)
(/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia19645.jpg)
Aug. 4, 2015

Tracking A Mysterious
Group of Asteroid Outcasts
Highabovetheplaneofoursolarsystem,nearthe
asteroidrichabyssbetweenMarsandJupiter,scientists
havefoundauniquefamilyofspacerocks.These
interplanetaryoddballsaretheEuphrosyne(pronounced
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youFROHsehnee)asteroids,andbyanymeasure
theyhavebeendistant,darkandmysteriousuntil
now.
Tags: Asteroids
(/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html), Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (/centers/jpl/home/index.html), NEOWISE
(http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/neowise/main/index.html)
Solar System (/topics/solarsystem/index.html), Universe
(/topics/solarsystem/index.html), WISE (Wide-field Infrared
Survey Explorer)
(http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/WISE/main/index.html)
Read Full Article

Asteroids (/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html)

July 31, 2015

Earth Flyby of 'Space

Peanut' Captured in New
Video
Radar Observations of Asteroi...

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(/mission_pages/asteroids/main/index.html), Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (/centers/jpl/home/index.html), Solar System
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Ceres (/subject/6883/ceres)

July 28, 2015

New Names and Insights

at Ceres
Ceres Topographic Globe Ani...

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(/subject/6883/ceres), Dawn
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