Artist's rendering of the Stardust spacecraft. The spacecraft was launched on February 7, 1999, from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, aboard a Delta II rocket. The primary goal of Stardust is to collect dust and carbon-based samples during its closest encounter with Comet Wild 2 -- pronounced "Vilt 2" after the name of its Swiss discoverer.
Name | Value | Additional Values |
---|---|---|
Target | 81P/Wild | |
System | Periodic Comets | |
Target Type | Comet | |
Mission | Stardust | |
Instrument Host | Stardust | |
Host Type | Sample Return | |
Instrument | ||
Detector | ||
Extra Keywords | Artwork, Color, Dust | |
Acquisition Date | ||
Release Date | 2005-11-03 | |
Date in Caption | 1999-02-07 | |
Image Credit | NASA/JPL | |
Source | photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03183 | |
Identifier | PIA03183 |