Mission Timeline

Text Size

Stardust Significant Events Timeline
 
Capsule Milestones| Mission Overview
Date Event
February 7, 1999 Launch
February - May 2000 First interstellar dust collection
January 15, 2001 Earth gravity assist
April 18, 2002 Aphelion (spacecraft's furthest distance from the Sun)
August - December 2002          Second interstellar dust collection
November 2, 2002 Asteroid Annefrank flyby
January 2, 2004 Comet Wild 2 encounter
January 15, 2006 Sample return capsule parachutes to Earth
July 23, 2007 Extended mission start date
February 14, 2011 Comet Tempel 1 encounter
March 9, 2011 Decommissioning of spacecraft