On January 15, 2006, NASA's Stardust spacecraft returned to Earth to drop off a capsule that contained the first samples of a comet and interstellar dust.
Two weeks earlier, Stardust visited the comet Wild 2 and collected some dust from its coma. After spending seven years in space, the 100-lb. capsule touched down in Utah. Scientists analyzed the dust grains and discovered some organic compounds, like nitrogen and hydrocarbons. They also found material that was older than the sun. Just as they suspected, the particles collected by the Stardust mission turned out to be leftovers of the ancient building blocks of our solar system.
Two weeks earlier, Stardust visited the comet Wild 2 and collected some dust from its coma. After spending seven years in space, the 100-lb. capsule touched down in Utah. Scientists analyzed the dust grains and discovered some organic compounds, like nitrogen and hydrocarbons. They also found material that was older than the sun. Just as they suspected, the particles collected by the Stardust mission turned out to be leftovers of the ancient building blocks of our solar system.
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TechTranscript
00:00On this day in space.
00:04On January 15, 2006, NASA's Stardust spacecraft returned to Earth
00:08to drop off a capsule that contained the first samples of a comet in interstellar dust.
00:12Two weeks earlier, Stardust visited the comet Wild 2 and collected
00:16some dust from its coma. After spending seven years in space,
00:20the 100-pound capsule touched down in Utah. Scientists analyzed the dust
00:24grains and discovered some organic compounds like nitrogen and hydrocarbons.
00:28They also found material that was older than the sun. Just as they suspected,
00:32the particles collected by the Stardust mission turned out to be leftovers of the ancient
00:36building blocks of our solar system. And that's what happened on this day in space.
00:40Music
00:44Music