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On July 4, 2005, the Deep Impact spacecraft will impact a
copper projectile about the size of a kitchen bin into the
surface of a frozen ball of ice and rock, comet Tempel 1,
creating a crater about the size of a sports stadium. A CD
containing the names of those who signed on board for this one-
way trip to a celestial snowball will be literally obliterated
along with the 370 kilogram copper-tipped impactor.
When the impactor collides with Tempel 1 at about
37,000 kilometres per hour, Deep Impact's flyby
spacecraft will collect pictures and data. The flyby spacecraft
will send its data back to Earth in near real time through the
antennas of the NASA Deep Space Network. Simultaneously,
professional and amateur astronomers on Earth will observe the
ejecta flying from the comet's newly formed crater adding to
the data and images collected by the Deep Impact spacecraft and
other space telescopes.
"This is an opportunity to become part of an extraordinary
space mission," said Dr. Don Yeomans, an astronomer at JPL and
a member of the Deep Impact science team. "When the craft is
launched in December 2004, yours and the names of your loved-
ones can hitch along for the ride and be part of what may be
the best space fireworks show in history."
Deep Impact is the first deep-space mission that will really
reach out and touch a comet. Mission scientists are confident
such an intimate glimpse beneath the surface of a comet, where
material and debris from the formation of the Solar System
remains relatively unchanged, will answer basic questions
as well as getting a better
look at the nature and composition of these celestial
wanderers.
"This campaign will allow people from around the world to
become directly involved with the Deep Impact mission and
through that, get them thinking about the scientific reasons
for the mission," said University of Maryland astronomy
professor, Dr. Michael A'Hearn, Deep Impact's principal
investigator. "We particularly hope to capture the interest of
young students, as they will become the explorers of the next
generation."
More info: Deep Imapct
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