Deep Impact spacecraft flies past Earth
Posted: Wed, Jan 2, 2008, 6:01 AM ET (1101 GMT)
NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft flew past Earth on New Year's Eve, a maneuver that puts the spacecraft on course for an extended mission to another comet. The three-year-old spacecraft flew past Earth on Monday, with its closest approach approximately 16,000 kilometers above Australia. The flyby is the first of three planned through 2009 to put the spacecraft on course to fly past the comet Hartley 2 in October 2010. Hartley 2 was selected just last month after astronomers could not locate another comet, Boethin, that had been the first choice for the extended mission. During portions of the cruise phase of the extended mission, called EPOXI, the spacecraft will observe a number of stars known to have extrasolar planets. Deep Impact completed its primary mission in 2005 when it flew past the comet Tempel 2, firing a probe that impacted with the comet's nucleus.
NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft flew past Earth on New Year's Eve, a maneuver that puts the spacecraft on course for an extended mission to another comet. The three-year-old spacecraft flew past Earth on Monday, with its closest approach approximately 16,000 kilometers above Australia. The flyby is the first of three planned through 2009 to put the spacecraft on course to fly past the comet Hartley 2 in October 2010. Hartley 2 was selected just last month after astronomers could not locate another comet, Boethin, that had been the first choice for the extended mission. During portions of the cruise phase of the extended mission, called EPOXI, the spacecraft will observe a number of stars known to have extrasolar planets. Deep Impact completed its primary mission in 2005 when it flew past the comet Tempel 2, firing a probe that impacted with the comet's nucleus.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Friday, July 4
U-M instrument shows what planet Mercury is made of
Univ. of Michigan — 9:58 am ET (1358 GMT) MESSENGER Settles old Debates and Makes new Discoveries at Mercury
JHUAPL — 9:56 am ET (1356 GMT) STFC announces ambitious 1.906bn science funding programme
UK Science and Technology Facilities Council — 9:29 am ET (1329 GMT) In Unique Stellar Laboratory, Einstein's Theory Passes Strict, New Test
NSF — 9:21 am ET (1321 GMT) Start of the Cassini Equinox Mission
ESA — 9:17 am ET (1317 GMT) |
