THE SOUNDS OF STARDUST
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A flawless launch
Stardust blasts off from Cape Canaveral, Fla. (:49)
Tension ends
UW astronomy professor Donald Brownlee reacts to the successful launch of Stardust. (:12)
A long wait
Brownlee says now it's a matter of waiting for Stardust to return. (:05)
Aborted launch
Stardust launch control halts countdown at T-minus 1:43 because of technical problem. (:27)
Shielding the spacecraft
Joseph Vellinga, Stardust program manager for Lockheed Martin Astronautics in Denver, discusses how Whipple shields will protect the spacecraft from large comet particles speeding at 14,000 miles per hour, six to seven times the speed of a rifle bullet. (:50)
Odds of particle damage
Vellinga discusses the odds of a comet particle seriously damaging the Stardust spacecraft. (:20)
The comet
UW Astronomy Professor Donald Brownlee, principal investigator for Stardust, discusses why the comet Wild 2 was selected for this NASA Discovery mission. (1:27)
Stardust science
Brownlee discusses the scientific value of the mission. (:33)
Comets and astrobiology
Brownlee discusses the implications of comet research for astrobiology, an emerging discipline searching for life outside Earth. (NOTE: The UW begins the first doctoral program in astrobiology later this year.) (2:22)
The milkman in Omaha
Brownlee discusses what the Stardust mission means for the average person. (1:40)
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