Stardust Craft Left to Quietly Orbit Sun
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
NASA has deactivated most of the Stardust spacecraft two weeks after the probe jettisoned samples of comet dust -- the first ever gathered in space -- to Earth from its seven-year voyage through the heavens.
On Sunday, engineers powered down all of Stardust’s systems except for its solar panels and receiver antenna. The move was necessary to maintain the spacecraft and save fuel for possible future missions.
The craft is orbiting around the sun. The next time it is to fly by Earth is Jan. 14, 2009.
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