Deep Impact camera blurry
Posted: Fri, Mar 25, 2005, 8:27 PM ET (0127 GMT)
Images taken by the camera on NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft are slightly out of focus, NASA announced Friday, although the space agency downplayed the problem. In a mission status report issued Friday afternoon, NASA said that images taken by the spacecraft's High Resolution Instrument (HRI) during post-launch tests revealed that the camera had not reached perfect focus. The test images were taken after a "bake out" procedure that heated the camera to remove residual moisture from its barrel. Project officials said a team is looking into the problem, which will not affect the spacecraft's encounter with comet Tempel 1 in July. Even if the camera's focus does not improve from its current state, scientists said that the camera will still provide the best images to date of a comet. Deep Impact, launched in January, will fly past the comet while an impactor probe separates from the main spacecraft to collide with the comet's nucleus on July 4.
Images taken by the camera on NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft are slightly out of focus, NASA announced Friday, although the space agency downplayed the problem. In a mission status report issued Friday afternoon, NASA said that images taken by the spacecraft's High Resolution Instrument (HRI) during post-launch tests revealed that the camera had not reached perfect focus. The test images were taken after a "bake out" procedure that heated the camera to remove residual moisture from its barrel. Project officials said a team is looking into the problem, which will not affect the spacecraft's encounter with comet Tempel 1 in July. Even if the camera's focus does not improve from its current state, scientists said that the camera will still provide the best images to date of a comet. Deep Impact, launched in January, will fly past the comet while an impactor probe separates from the main spacecraft to collide with the comet's nucleus on July 4.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Friday, December 1
Sierra Space Shooting Star Cargo Module Initiates Rigorous Testing at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility
Business Wire — 6:36 am ET (1136 GMT) S. Korea's first spy satellite set to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base
Yonhap News — 6:36 am ET (1136 GMT) Former Blue Origin rocket engine manager alleges wrongful termination for whistleblowing on safety
TechCrunch — 6:35 am ET (1135 GMT) SpaceX targeting Friday for Korea 425 mission from Vandenberg SFB; sonic booms possible
Santa Maria (CA) Times — 6:31 am ET (1131 GMT) Korea's first homegrown spy satellite to lift off on Friday
JoongAng Daily — 6:31 am ET (1131 GMT) |
