The Stardust spacecraft released its sample return capsule as it approached Earth in January 2006. The capsule plunged into Earth's atmosphere, was lowered to the ground by its parachutes, and was recovered from its landing site in Utah by a crew in a helicopter. Click on image for full size (613K animated GIF) Images courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech; animation created by Windows to the Universe staff (Randy Russell).

The Stardust spacecraft will complete its comet sampling mission when it lands in the wee hours of the morning on January 15, 2006. A 100 pound (45 kg) sample return capsule carrying the mission's precious cargo of dust particles from Comet Wild 2 will land in the desert in Utah.

Stardust, which was launched in February 1999, has traveled 4.63 billion kilometers (2.88 billion miles) while looping around the Sun three times during its 7-year long mission. Along the way it captured interstellar dust grains that hurtle through our Solar System. In January 2004 it made its closest approach to Comet Wild 2 and snapped the best photos to date of a comet's nucleus. During that high-speed flyby it also accomplished the mission's main objective of capturing particles emitted by the comet. The spacecraft used an amazing, high-tech material called aerogel to snag dust particles from the comet.

As the spacecraft approaches Earth, it will release a sample return capsule containing the comet dust. The capsule will enter Earth's atmosphere at a speed of more than 23 thousand km/hour (14 thousand miles/hour), making it one of the highest speed atmospheric entries ever. A heat shield will protect the capsule as it hurtles through the atmosphere, then parachutes will open to lower the capsule to the ground. The capsule will be visible from northern Nevada (and possibly northern California and northwestern Utah) as it burns its way through the atmosphere; it will look like an exceptionally bright meteor. Check this NASA web site for details about viewing the capsule's entry, which will occur around 3 AM Mountain Time on January 15th.

If all goes well, the capsule will land gently in the Great Salt Lake Desert in Utah around 3:15 AM. Radio beacons on the capsule will guide recovery teams, in helicopters, to the landing site. The capsule will be transferred to a clean room where it will be opened. Scientists will then begin to study the first samples of a comet ever returned to Earth, in hopes of unlocking some of the secrets of the history of our Solar System that they suspect cometary particles might reveal.

The Stardust spacecraft came back to Earth in January 2006. The main spacecraft let go of the sample return capsule. The capsule re-entered Earth's atmosphere. It then used parachutes to gently land in Utah. Scientists in a helicopter picked up the capsule. Click on image for full size (613K animated GIF) Images courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech; animation created by Windows to the Universe staff (Randy Russell).

A spacecraft named Stardust will soon return to Earth to complete its 7 year-long mission. Stardust flew past a comet and grabbed some pieces of dust from the comet. The spacecraft will return those dust particles to Earth so scientists can study them. The scientists hope to learn about comets, and about the history of our Solar System, from the comet dust.

Stardust was launched in 1999 and flew by the comet in January 2004. It snapped the best pictures ever of the nucleus of a comet as it flew past Comet Wild 2. It also grabbed some dust from the comet's atmosphere using a high-tech material called aerogel.

A capsule on the Stardust spacecraft will bring the comet dust back to Earth. The capsule has a heat shield to protect it when it re-enters Earth's atmosphere. It also has parachutes that will gently lower it to the ground. The capsule will land in Utah at around 3 AM on January 15, 2006. After it lands, crews in helicopters will pick up the capsule. They will take it to scientists who will open the capsule and get the dust particles out. The scientists will study the dust to learn more about comets.

The Stardust spacecraft came back to Earth in January 2006. The main spacecraft let go of the sample return capsule. The capsule re-entered Earth's atmosphere. It then used parachutes to gently land in Utah. Scientists in a helicopter picked up the capsule. Click on image for full size (613K animated GIF) Images courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech; animation created by Windows to the Universe staff (Randy Russell).

A spacecraft is coming back to Earth after a long mission. The spacecraft is named Stardust. Stardust went on a journey to a comet. The trip lasted 7 years!

Stardust grabbed some pieces of dust from the comet it flew by. It is bringing that dust back to Earth. Scientists will study the dust to learn more about comets. Stardust flew by a comet named Wild 2. It took some really great pictures of the comet.

Stardust put the dust it grabbed into a capsule. The capsule will land on Earth on January 15, 2006. It will land in the desert in Utah. Scientists will get the dust from the capsule so they can study it. Nobody has ever been to a comet. This is the first time stuff from a comet has been brought back to Earth. Scientists are excited to get their first chance to look at comet "stuff" up close. They think they will learn a lot about comets from the dust!