The Microchip Enclosed In
A Circular Container (Middle)
Paper Clip and Dime Included to Show Scale
More than 136,000 names collected from around
the world will be carried to Comet Wild-2 aboard
the STARDUST spacecraft, and then returned back
to Earth. If you have submitted your name in October-November
1997, and want to verify that it is on the microchip,
click on the letters listed below. The names have
been sorted alphabetically by last name (see below).
Special thanks to the Planetary
Society for collecting the names for
the STARDUST project.
Two copies of this chip have been installed in
the STARDUST spacecraft, which was launched into
space on February
7, 1999. The STARDUST spacecraft is
on its way to an encounter with Comet Wild-2 in
2004, and will return comet samples back to Earth
in 2006. One of the microchips is inside the sample
return capsule, so will be returned back to Earth.
The other microchip will remain on the spacecraft
and stay in space forever.
Look
here for the latest updates on the STARDUST
mission.
