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FEATURES |
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STARDUST SPACECRAFT
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NASA decided a few years ago to open the U.S. space program to the public, by submitting their names to be blasted into space. Individuals' names were encoded on two copies of two microchips and placed aboard the Stardust spacecraft, which lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Feb. 7, 1999.
One of the microchips with the names was inside the sample capsule that returned to Earth, while the other will remain in space forever. The space agency offers the latest about the mission at its site. You can see how far the spacecraft traveled, pictures of the launch, landing and sample analysis, and learn more about comets. Here are the family members whose names will drift through space for eternity: |
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The
Stardust spacecraft successfully encountered Comet Wild-2
in 2004, and returned samples back to Earth, landing with
a thump in the Utah desert on Jan. 15, 2006. Scientists
are now examining those bits of comet tail to learn the
origins of the universe.