Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Earth Solar System Stars & Galaxies Science & Technology
California Institute of Technology
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Mission History
Comet outgassing against a dark space background
Mission Details
Stardust spacecraft approaches an outgassing comet
Meet The Team
Team members monitor spacecraft status
Delta rocket carrying Stardust spacecraft at launch
Reusing the Stardust Spacecraft to Survey Tempel 1
For the first time, two comets are surveyed by the same set of instruments.
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Scientist, Peter Tsou looks at aerogel
Behind the Original Stardust Mission
NASA’s fourth Discovery Mission was dedicated to explorating a comet and return particles back to Earth for analyses. + Learn more
Artist rendering of Stardust spacecraft flying by Earth
Stardust Flies By Earth
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+ Fly By Animation
+ See Earth Gravity Assist Images
+ LMSS Press Release
Screen capture from Deep Impact flyby
What Did Deep Impact See?
Take a look at the original observation plan for the instruments on the flyby spacecraft.
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Tempel 1 models
Stardust-NExT Fact Sheet
A mission of opportunity to complete the exploration of Tempel 1 with Stardust.
+ Fact Sheet (PDF 136 Kb)
Templ 1 awaits exploration
Mission & Science Objectives
The Stardust-NExT (New Exploration of Tempel) will contribute significantly to comet exploration.
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Artist rendering of planets and parabolic antenna
Mission Details
In 2010, Comet Tempel 1 will be explored for the second time.
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Artist rendering of Stardust spacecraft
Spacecraft Details
Find out more about this innovative spacecraft.
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Artist rendering of Stardust spacecraft orbital details
Where is Stardust-NExT Now?
Follow the spacecraft on its journey.
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Kevin Gilliland, operations manager
Status Reports
View weekly spacecraft status reports from the missions operations manager.
+ Status Reports
Artist rendering of planets and parabolic antenna
Discovery Program Office
Investigates highly-focused missions to enhance our understanding of the solar system.
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JPL technician monitors status
JPL Flight Team
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) manages and leads all navigation efforts for the mission.
+ Meet team
LMSS Team watches as data is received
LMSS Flight Team
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Corporation (LMSS) designed, built, and operates the spacecraft.
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SD-NExT Science team
Science Team
Extending our understanding of a comet's surface and its nucleu through comparative study.
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+ Enlarge image

Comet soars over blue evening sky
Education & Public Outreach
Stardust-NExT is a collaborative effort between NASA universities and industry partners.
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