| .....In
February 2000, the Stardust spacecraft
successfully deployed its aerogel
collector and began collecting
interstellar dust from a stream of
particles from outside our solar system
that was initially detected many years
ago by earth orbiting spacecraft. This
historic first collection period will
continue through at least May. After
that, the collector will be returned to
its stowed position until mid-2002, when
another period of interstellar dust
collection is scheduled. .....The
spacecraft will make three loops around
the sun before its closest approach to
the comet in January 2004. Stardust
should come within 93 miles of the comet
and will send back pictures, counts of
comet particles striking the spacecraft,
and real-time analyses of the
compositions of the particles. The
spacecraft will make history by capturing
materials spewed out from the Sun-activated
comet.
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