This weekend, a probe bearing dust samples from a comet returns to Earth's surface. The mission, dubbed Stardust, will hopefully give scientists a look at dust thrown off by comet Wild 2 and captured by the craft during a flyby in January 2004. We'll talk to the project's principal investigator about what he hopes to learn from the samples. Then, we'll get a sneak peak at the New Horizons mission, scheduled to launch next week on its way to Pluto.

Plus, Ben Franklin turns 300 next week -- we'll talk about Franklin as inventor, socialite and statesman, and take a look at the Tercentenary Exhibition in his honor, now open in Philadelphia. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (3-4 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Don Brownlee
Project Principal Investigator, NASA's Stardust mission
Department of Astronomy
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington

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Alan Stern
Executive Director, Space Science and Engineering Division, Southwest Research Institute
Principal Investigator, New Horizons mission
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Laurel, Maryland

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HW Brands
Author, "The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin"
Dickson, Allen, Anderson Centennial Professor
Department of History
University of Texas
Austin, Texas

Page Talbott
Associate Director and Chief Curator of the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Editor and an author of "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World"
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Books/Articles Discussed:

"Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World," edited by Page Talbott. Yale University Press, 2005.

"The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin," by HW Brands. Anchor, 2002.

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This segment produced by Charles Bergquist