Whee Stardust. My father's been working on that project [:D]
The technology in these are actually amazing. Do
a google search on aerogel, really amazing stuff.
Can't wait for the Rosetta to begin when they
will actually try to land on a comet.
Comet Wild 2's jets and craters astound astronomers
A detailed analysis of the comet Wild 2 (pronounced "Vilt 2") has left astronomers astounded at an object that has no known peers in the solar system.
The comet, examined in a close flyby in January by NASA's Stardust spacecraft, has towering protrusions and steep-walled craters that seem to defy gravity. More than a dozen jets of material shoot out from its insides. Dust swirls around the comet in unexpectedly dense pockets.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5234058/