Stardust-NExT

Stardust-NExT was a space mission that revisited Comet Tempel 1 in 2011, nearly a decade after the original Stardust spacecraft first collected samples from the comet in 2004. Its goal was to study the comet's surface changes over time, providing insights into its composition, structure, and evolution. By imaging the comet and analyzing how it changed, scientists gained valuable information about the properties of comets and the early solar system. Stardust-NExT demonstrated how space missions can build on previous explorations to deepen our understanding of celestial objects.