aerogel

synthetic material

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In comet: Spacecraft exploration of comets
…made of silica (sand) called aerogel that had a very low density, approaching that of air. The idea was that the aerogel would slow the dust particles without destroying them, much as a detective might shoot a bullet into a box full of cotton in order to collect the undamaged…
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In Stardust/NExT
…Collection Apparatus, two arrays of aerogel mounted on opposite sides of a common plate. Aerogel is an inert silica-based substance that has an extremely low density (2 mg per cubic cm [0.001 ounce per cubic inch]). It is designed to capture particles by gently slowing and then stopping them in…
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