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NASA accepted the mission extension proposal put forward by scientists from the University of Maryland � the same team who led the spectacular impact in 2005. Deep Impact should be able to reach its new target, comet Boethin, by December 2008.
�As we try to interpret the larger meaning for all comets of our results from Deep Impact at Tempel-1, we have realized more and more how important is the variation from comet to comet,� said Deep Impact leader and University of Maryland astronomer Michael A�Hearn.
�Deep Impact�s flyby spacecraft and payload are still healthy. We propose to direct the spacecraft for a flyby of Comet Boethin in December, 2008, to investigate whether the results found at Comet Tempel-1 are unique or are also found on other comets,� he said.
�This mission is a very cost effective way to provide new results that can be directly compared to the landmark Deep Impact findings as well as with the results of Deep Space 1 and Stardust and the earlier results from the numerous missions to Comet Halley.�
The new mission is called the Deep Impact eXtension Investigation (DIXI) and will use the surviving spacecraft�s three working instruments � two colour cameras and an infrared spectrometer, to study Boethin. When DIXI encounters Boethin they will be just outside Earth�s orbit � much closer to the Sun than the Tempel-1 encounter, which happened nearer to the orbit of Mars last July.
Deep Impact�s new target, officially designated 85P/Boethin, was discovered in 1975 by Reverend Leo Boethin.
More info: NASA: Deep Impact
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