Project Hopes to Find Star Dust on Earth (AP)
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An artists' conception shows NASA's Stardust spacecraft (R) and return capsule (L). The Stardust capsule is carrying cometary and interstellar dust particles back to Earth and is set to return to Earth January 15, 2006 at eight miles (12.8 km) per second more than 10 times faster than a speeding bullet, then land via parachute in the desert in the U.S. state of Utah. In January 2004, the Stardust spacecraft flew within 147 miles (236 km) of the comet Wild 2 (VILT-TWO) and survived the high-speed impact of millions of dust particles and small rocks up to nearly two-tenths of an inch (half centimeter) across. With its tennis racket-shaped collector extended, Stardust captured thousands of comet particles. NO SALES NO ARCHIVES REUTERS/NASA/Handout
AP - Computer users are being invited to join the hunt for minute grains of star dust that a NASA spacecraft should return to Earth this weekend. |
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