| Abstract: | Abstract– The Stardust sample return mission to the comet Wild 2 used silica aerogel as the principal cometary and interstellar particle capture and return medium. However, since both cometary dust and interstellar grains are composed largely of silica, using a silica collector complicates the science that can be accomplished with these particles. The use of non‐silica aerogel in future extra‐terrestrial particle capture and return missions would expand the scientific value of these missions. Alumina, titania, germania, zirconia, tin oxide, and resorcinol/formaldehyde aerogels were produced and impact tested with 20, 50, and 100 μm glass microspheres to determine the suitability of different non‐silica aerogels as hypervelocity particle capture mediums. It was found that non‐silica aerogels do perform as efficient hypervelocity capture mediums, with alumina, zirconia, and resorcinol/formaldehyde aerogels proving to be the best of the materials tested. |
