NASA going to rock a comet on 4th of July

[Hellfighter]

By: MSNBC News'
Deep Impact releases probe for comet collision
NASA spacecraft set for fiery impact with comet on July 4

The Associated Press
Updated: 8:40 p.m. ET July 3, 2005

PASADENA, Calif. - A NASA space probe was bearing down on its comet target Sunday in a mission scientists hope will end with a cataclysmic crash — and new insights into the origins of the solar system.

The 820-pound copper probe was on course to intercept the comet Tempel 1 to smash a hole in it so scientists can get their first peek at the heart of one of these icy celestial bodies.

Comets are the leftover building blocks of the solar system, which formed when a giant cloud of gas and dust collapsed to create the sun and planets. Because comets were born in the system’s outer fringes, their cores still possess some of the primordial ingredients and studying them could yield clues to how the solar system formed 4.5 billion years ago.

The “impactor” probe separated from the Deep Impact spacecraft early Sunday and began a 500,000-mile suicide dive toward the sunlit section of Tempel 1, a pickle-shaped comet half the size of Manhattan and 83 million miles away from Earth.

'Half of the hurdles are over'
Workers in the mission control room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena erupted in applause shortly after the separation.

“The release went very well,” said project manager Rick Grammier. “Half of the hurdles are over.”

Meanwhile, the mother-ship fired its thrusters to slightly change course and stake out a front-row seat 5,000 miles from the high-speed collision, which is expected to occur at 1:52 a.m. EDT Monday.

The probe will switch to autopilot two hours before Monday’s encounter, relying on computer software and thrusters to steer itself into the path of the onrushing comet. If the probe’s maneuvers are off, the comet could miss and the mission would fail.

As Tempel 1 closes in at a relative speed of 23,000 mph, the probe should beam back unprecedented pictures of its target in near real-time until it is run over.

Glimpse inside a comet
If all goes to plan, the mother-ship will record the crash and resulting crater with its high-resolution telescope. About 15 minutes after impact, the craft will make its closest flyby of the comet nucleus, approaching within 310 miles. Scientists expect it will be bombarded with flying debris and will stop taking pictures, turning on its dust shields for protection.

NASA’s brigade of space-based observatories, including the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory and Spitzer Space Telescope, also will be pointing toward the comet to record the impact. Professional astronomers from dozens of observatories in 20 countries also will observe the crash.

Little is known about comet anatomy, so it’s unclear what exactly will happen when Tempel 1 is hit. Scientists expect the collision will spray a cone-shaped plume of debris into space. The resulting crater can range anywhere from the size of a large house to a football stadium and be between two and 14 stories deep.

The probe’s anticipated impact could cause the comet to shine brighter than normal and sky-gazers may be able to see celestial fireworks with a telescope in parts of the Western United States and Latin America.

Deep Impact blasted off in January from Cape Canaveral, Fla., for its six-month, 268 million-mile journey. In what scientists say is a coincidence, the spacecraft shares the same name as the 1998 movie about a comet that hurtles toward Earth.

Discovered in 1867, Tempel 1 moves around the sun in an elliptical orbit between Mars and Jupiter every six or so years.

In April, the 1,300-pound spacecraft took its first picture of Tempel 1 from 40 million miles away, revealing what amounts to a celestial snowball. Last month, still 20 million miles away, scientists saw the solid core of Tempel 1 for the first time.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
© 2005 MSNBC.com

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8435968/

What people will do spend all that money to crash a 330 million spacecraft into something. now we know what happen to all them MAR's probe they test to see how good they crash landed and how deep they gone into the ground. funny if that comet turn out to be no then more then H2O water lol what a waste, even better they found a big fat whale in it all frozen-up.

[atholon]

Yeah, that is gunna be awesome!

[BADDOG]

This is indeed an awesome event and the scientific information should be of great benefit to our understanding of our universe!!!!

Regards

[Cody 7]

Well, i think it hit about 11:30 or something... (It's 1:07 AM here) Happy 4th! lol. I love space, it's very interesting to me. I think it's great what they're using our tax money for lol

[Lakie]

Theres a nice way for NASA to make everyone think there back on the ball game, actually design a machine to crash, knowing Nasa it shoudl have flown to mars and started doing perfect orbits around it

[BADDOG]

Originally posted by BB/Mike*MFA*
Theres a nice way for NASA to make everyone think there back on the ball game, actually design a machine to crash, knowing Nasa it shoudl have flown to mars and started doing perfect orbits around it

OUCH Mike lol!!!!

Warm Regards

[Sal UK]

I Guess War Of The Worlds could happen now....lol How do they know it aint an Alien Transport, After all we are thinking of using them to transport probs around space...

But on a serious Note.. Here are some pics.

[atholon]

That is awesome

DIRECT HIT!

[Cody 7]

Yep - 'twas a success. I'm suprised that Nasa's pictures are still in such poor quality, they need to put a high-definition widescreen camera on the hubble telescope I mean... how old is that thing anyway?

[Sal UK]

Originally posted by Cody 7
they need to put a high-definition widescreen camera on the hubble telescope I mean... how old is that thing anyway?

The Hubble is in its final days m8, Its just a case of using it until something breaks, As no more repair work is to be done on hubble.
But they have got a more powerfull one either up now or due to be put up there.

[atholon]

So what exactly did they find out?

[Trojan]

Astrologer Sues NASA Over Comet Mission

Jul 5, 1:53 PM (ET)

MOSCOW (AP) - NASA's mission that sent a space probe smashing into a comet raised more than cosmic dust - it also brought a lawsuit from a Russian astrologer.

Marina Bai has sued the U.S. space agency, claiming the Deep Impact probe that punched a crater into the comet Tempel 1 late Sunday "ruins the natural balance of forces in the universe," the newspaper Izvestia reported Tuesday. A Moscow court has postponed hearings on the case until late July, the paper said.

Scientists say the crash did not significantly alter the comet's orbit around the sun and said the experiment does not pose any danger to Earth.

The probe's comet crash sent up a cloud of debris that scientists hope to examine to learn how the solar system was formed.

Bai is seeking damages totaling $300 million - the approximate equivalent of the mission's cost - for her "moral sufferings," Izvestia said, citing her lawyer Alexander Molokhov. She earlier told the paper that the experiment would "deform her horoscope."

NASA representatives in Russia could not be reached for comment on the case.
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All I have to say if FU Russia for allowing her to file suit. Total and complete bullsnot.

[Jeff]

Yeah, there have been some crazy lawsuits out there.

[Trojan]

"crazy" is the key word. I hope it is laughed out of court.

[Mauser 98K]

some1 need some serious HV shock theropy lol.

[Sal UK]

Originally posted by Trojan
Astrologer Sues NASA Over Comet Mission

Jul 5, 1:53 PM (ET)

MOSCOW (AP) - NASA's mission that sent a space probe smashing into a comet raised more than cosmic dust - it also brought a lawsuit from a Russian astrologer.

Marina Bai has sued the U.S. space agency, claiming the Deep Impact probe that punched a crater into the comet Tempel 1 late Sunday "ruins the natural balance of forces in the universe," the newspaper Izvestia reported Tuesday. A Moscow court has postponed hearings on the case until late July, the paper said.

Scientists say the crash did not significantly alter the comet's orbit around the sun and said the experiment does not pose any danger to Earth.

The probe's comet crash sent up a cloud of debris that scientists hope to examine to learn how the solar system was formed.

Bai is seeking damages totaling $300 million - the approximate equivalent of the mission's cost - for her "moral sufferings," Izvestia said, citing her lawyer Alexander Molokhov. She earlier told the paper that the experiment would "deform her horoscope."

NASA representatives in Russia could not be reached for comment on the case.
-------------------------------------------

All I have to say if FU Russia for allowing her to file suit. Total and complete bullsnot.

I cant see the point in sueing them, But I do see what concerns are raised.
I watched a programme on the mission and they said about it being like something small colliding with a mountain, What they have to realize is that mountain in space waighs nothing, And if you punch a hole into it to allow it to emit something it will be like adding a tiny engine until the emissions stop it will give a push, So in theory it will alter the course on the comet I dont think it would alter that much, But what if there was more pressure inside the comet than they had predicted.