Returned sample

Wild 2 Sample (Stardust)

Thousands of cometary dust particles captured in aerogel as Stardust flew through the coma of comet 81P/Wild 2, returned in 2006 — the first cometary material and the first sample from beyond the Moon. The grains revealed high-temperature minerals and the amino acid glycine.

Sample facts

Source body: Wild 2
Returned by: Stardust
Analysis: Curated at NASA Johnson Space Center; contains crystalline high-temperature minerals and glycine.

Sources

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
NASA JPLJet Propulsion Laboratory / Solar System Dynamics
Orbital data, ephemerides, and small-body parameters for planets, asteroids, and comets.

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