The Stardust space probe collected a sample of comet dust.
The probe flew within 147 miles (237km) of the Wild 2 comet to collect the samples of dust. In 2004, the Stardust spacecraft made a close flyby of comet Wild-2, collecting comet and interstellar dust in a substance called aerogel. On January 15, 2006, a capsule containing the sample was returned to Earth. On August 14, 2014, interstellar dust particles were identified within the sample.
Stardust was the first spacecraft to return a cometary sample and extraterrestrial material from outside the orbit of the moon to Earth.