Stardust (NASA mission)

The Stardust mission by NASA launched in 1999 to collect samples from a comet called Wild 2 and interstellar dust. It used a special technology called aerogel to gently capture tiny particles at high speed, avoiding damage. In 2004, it returned these samples to Earth for analysis. This mission helps scientists understand the building blocks of our solar system and the origins of comets, offering clues about the early conditions of the solar system and the formation of planets. Stardust was the first mission to return solid samples from a comet, providing invaluable scientific insights.