Stardust completes comet flyby
Posted: Fri, Jan 2, 2004, 8:23 PM ET (0123 GMT)
NASA's Stardust spacecraft successfully flew past the nucleus of comet Wild-2 on Friday, collecting images, other data, and samples of comet dust to return to Earth. Stardust made its close approach to Wild-2 at approximately 2:45 pm EST (1945 GMT), passing 240 kilometers from the comet's nucleus. An image of the nucleus, released at a press conference a few hours after the flyby, reveals a fairly round body several kilometers across whose surface is pockmarked with craters and erosional features. The spacecraft also collected data on number of dust particles in the comet's coma and their composition; that data is being transmitted back to Earth for analysis. The spacecraft also collected some comet dust particles as well, which will be returned to Earth along with samples of the interplanetary medium collected earlier in the mission, in January 2006.
NASA's Stardust spacecraft successfully flew past the nucleus of comet Wild-2 on Friday, collecting images, other data, and samples of comet dust to return to Earth. Stardust made its close approach to Wild-2 at approximately 2:45 pm EST (1945 GMT), passing 240 kilometers from the comet's nucleus. An image of the nucleus, released at a press conference a few hours after the flyby, reveals a fairly round body several kilometers across whose surface is pockmarked with craters and erosional features. The spacecraft also collected data on number of dust particles in the comet's coma and their composition; that data is being transmitted back to Earth for analysis. The spacecraft also collected some comet dust particles as well, which will be returned to Earth along with samples of the interplanetary medium collected earlier in the mission, in January 2006.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
SpaceX sets Nov. 18 launch date for sixth Starship test flight
Posted: Sat, Nov 9 9:57 AM ET (1457 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, November 14
Colorado officials say Space Command should not move to Alabama with Trump presidency
Colorado Newsline — 6:43 am ET (1143 GMT) SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California
KFMB-TV San Diego — 6:42 am ET (1142 GMT) Space Industry Executive George Whitesides Wins Congressional Seat
Aviation Week — 6:41 am ET (1141 GMT) Space trash is falling from the sky. And that’s not the worst of it.
Washington Post — 6:38 am ET (1138 GMT) Commerce Commission takes One NZ to court over SpaceX claims, telco fights back
New Zealand Herald — 6:38 am ET (1138 GMT) |
