Once the Sample Return Capsule is
recovered at the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR),
its contents will be placed in the capable hands of
the Stardust Curation Team - who are based at the Johnson
Space Center (JSC).
This team will then go about the business of carefully
transporting the aerogel containing grains from Comet
Wild 2 and interstellar dust to their special facility
at JSC for examination. The samples gathered by Stardust
are expected to consist of approximately 1000 cometary
dust particles measuring less than 100 =B5m each, and
an additional 100 interstellar dust grains primarily
of sub-micron size. The expected total mass of the sample
will probably be 1 mg, less than a thimbleful.
For the Stardust Mission, both comet coma samples and
the interstellar grains must be captured at high velocity
with minimal heating and other effects of physical alteration.
Particle collection at this speed has been extensively
demonstrated in laboratory tests, Shuttle flights and
on the MIR Space Station. Researchers have additionally
shown that comet dust collection can be accomplished
with minimal amounts of sample alteration.
The JSC team has developed exacting techniques for the
removal and analysis of captured grains from the silica
aerogel used as a capture medium. They will continue
to improve and practice these techniques before the
comet samples are placed into their hands in 2006.
For additional information visit the JSC Stardust Curation
Last updated February 15, 2006