[meteorite-list] Far Out: Ball Plans Craft-Comet Collision (Deep Impact)

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:16:32 2004
Message-ID: <200308111442.HAA07692_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.bouldernews.com/bdc/city_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2422_2173867,00.html

Far out: Ball plans craft-comet collision

Deep Impact team hopes to uncover more about origins of universe

By Kate Larsen
The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado)
August 11, 2003

Remember asking your algebra teacher when those equations would ever be
useful? Try hitting a comet in deep space, and they may come in
handy.

The Deep Impact team at Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. in Boulder is
building a spacecraft designed to hit a comet. The idea is simple - make a
stadium-size crater on a comet and see what flies out, and gain some knowledge
about the origins of the universe.

At 80 million miles away, it won't be an easy target.

"They're trying to hit a black thing against a black background," said Emilia
Reed, Ball Aerospace spokeswoman. "The math is pretty important."

The Ball team is planning to hit the comet on July 4, 2005. Engineers are
about to start testing the equipment they've spent the last four years
designing and building.

The NASA-sponsored mission is a $300 million endeavor. If successful, the
impact will occur 80 million miles from Earth in deep space.

It has never been done before.

"It's become a huge mathematical and engineering challenge," said Monte
Henderson, project manager for Deep Impact.

Ball engineers plan to find out what's inside Comet Tempel 1 by smashing a
770-pound "impactor" into it at 22,000 mph. The spacecraft, about 2 feet high
and 4 feet wide, has a large copper nose that will hit the comet first.

A mother spacecraft will catch images of the impact with two high-powered
telescopes.

The impactor must be positioned perfectly so that the comet runs into it from
behind, creating the crater. The second spacecraft must go through several
complicated maneuvers to capture the best view of the show.

"We're pushing the envelope in many areas," Henderson said.

Special electronics and navigation systems were built for the mission.
Infrared imaging technology will allow a ground team to identify which
chemical elements are present in the comet debris.

The two spacecraft fit together and will be launched on Dec. 30, 2004,
aboard a rocket. Once in space, the two will separate as they approach
the comet.

If the impactor successfully completes its mission, it will be vaporized
immediately by the comet.

Joe Galamback, lead mechanical technician on the Deep Impact team, said
he's not upset that years of hard work could disappear upon impact with
the comet.

"It won't bring a tear to my eye," Galamback said.

The team is about to start mission scenario testing to ensure that the
spacecraft can endure the launch and a deep-space environment.

Contact Kate Larsen at (303) 473-1361 or larsenk_at_dailycamera.com.
Received on Mon 11 Aug 2003 10:42:19 AM PDT