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Re: Aerogel

>	Please explain to us what "aerogel" is. 

Aerogel is what we will be using to capture the comet particles.
Blocks of aerogel will be carried in a paddle (kind of looks like
a large tennis racket), and the comet particles will embedd themselves
into the aerogel, which later will be extracted after they are
returned to Earth. Aerogel is the world's lightest solid, and it is really 
weird stuff.    It looks like blue smoke or a hologram.  To the touch, 
it feels like styrofoam.  I took a piece of aerogel to Disneyland
for display in the new Tomorrowland.  More info here:

http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/aerogel.html

Ron Baalke