Indeed, quite impressive !!

Remember - except for the comet encounter, and two specific interstellar collecting periods, the array was tucked up in bed in the capsule

Doug

The interstellar collection periods <two of them> were a few months long, each. The interstellar flux is very low and constant (other than statistics of small numbers fluctuations) and that's for damn small particles, there are few if any bigger ones. I suspect the random interplanetary flux is considerably bigger, it took a long time of studies to even be able to detect the interstellar dust flux above the background.

Did LDEF pick up any interplanetary and interstellar debris during its time in Earth orbit? Just thought it might be useful for comparisons to Stardust's catches.

I think the skepticism in general on this question is because of our lack of knowledge about the interiors of comets.
Let me ask you a hypothetical: suppose it is confirmed that clays and carbonate occur in the interior of comets as Deep Impact suggests they do and suppose it is found they formed from liquid water (the presence of both clay and carbonate strongly implies this is the case).
Given that it has already been long known that organics are abundant in comets, do you think it is likely life exists or existed in comets?



- Bob

Well it all depends on how long those clays and carbonates formed. If it was given many millions of years under liquid water (probably water and ammonia mix) life may have formed, most likely bacterial or nanobacterial (unlikely), if there is a ecosystem on comets then viruses are possible, but could they infect earth life, extremely unlikely: as a virus is very specific to a small set for host organisms, it could only infect native comet life, earth life would not have the proper receptors or biochemistry considering the billions of years of evolution that separates us… unless you don’t believe in that kind of thing.

Like Jon Stewart said a few days ago, its either dust formed billions of years ago, or ~6000 (roughly calculated biblical date) depending on who is wrong. Welcome to the era of "sound" science.

For a detailed Web site on panspermia, see:

http://www.panspermia.org

And directly related to Stardust, this just came from the BBC:

The successful return to Earth of NASA's Stardust capsule offers scientists a first chance to handle cometary dust. The probe bearing it flew close to comet Wild-2 in January 2004.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4627770.stm

One theory for the beginnings of life on Earth is that our planet was seeded by chemicals delivered by a comet. It's a concept known as panspermia.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/life/be...ngs/comet.shtml

Stardust also managed to collect rare interstellar particles on its seven-year trip. A substance called Aerogel - which is 99.8% empty volume - was used to collect microscopic dust without damaging it. Researchers want the help of people the world over to examine photographs and spot traces of the particles.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4607318.stm

That web site is very bias, I would say http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panspermia
is better.

There is a whole whole range of panspermia theories, some of which are not consider likely or viable by scientific consensuous (like Fred Hoyle's).

Did Stardust bring back water from the comet Wild 2?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10927236/

Another Stardust press confeence coming up next week, I wonder if they've found something unusual :

NASA ANNOUNCES STARDUST MISSION MEDIA UPDATE

The next Stardust comet mission media briefing is at 1 p.m. EST (noon,
CST), Tuesday, Jan 24 in room 135, Building 2, Johnson Space Center,
2101 NASA Parkway, Houston.

The briefing will be live on NASA TV with questions also from
reporters at participating agency centers. NASA experts will discuss
the analysis of comet and interstellar dust samples returned by the
Stardust spacecraft.

Participants:
-- Dr. Donald Brownlee, Stardust Principal Investigator, University of
Washington, Seattle
-- Dr. Peter Tsou, Deputy Principal Investigator, Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
-- Dr. Michael Zolensky, Stardust Curator and Co-investigator, Johnson
Space Center

I don't think so. If there was a big finding, there would be NASA brass there as well.

Hmm. Sure hope so!

I have a silly aerogel question, BTW: How does that stuff stay stable in space? Based on its stated composition, I can't understand why it doesn't outgas like crazy in vacuum & subsequently collapse... Also, is it expected to contaminate the samples in any way?

Aerogel is like a nylon scrubbing pad.. all interconnected web of silica forming a very open sub micrometer spongework. It's not like closed cell foam rubber. It outgassed quickly enough to not blow up, and refills with air sometime on entry fast enough it doesn't get collapsed by pressure.

Okay, that makes sense; I thought that it was "foamy", with trapped air bubbles throughout. Thanks, Ed!

huh, is this not already a common hobby for many people?!