Stardust spacecraft

The Stardust spacecraft, launched by NASA in 1999, was designed to collect samples from the comet Wild 2 and analyze cosmic dust. It traveled through space, collected tiny particles from the comet's tail and interstellar dust using adhesive collectors, and returned these samples to Earth in 2006. The mission provided valuable insights into the building blocks of the early solar system, helping scientists understand the origins of comets, asteroids, and planetary formation. Stardust's innovative technology and sample return capability made it a significant milestone in planetary science and space exploration.