NASA gives two spacecraft new missions
Posted: Wed, Jul 4, 2007, 6:26 PM ET (2226 GMT)
NASA announced late Tuesday that it has given new missions to a pair of spacecraft already in space that have completed their original missions. The Deep Impact mothership, which flew past comet Tempel 1 two years ago, observing the impact of a probe on the comet's nucleus, will be retargeted to fly past comet Boethin in December 2008. En route to the comet the spacecraft will also be used to observe several bright nearby stars known to have exoplanets; the observations will look for transits as the exoplanets pass in front of the stars, allowing astronomers to better characterize those worlds. The Stardust spacecraft, which remained in space after returning a probe containing cometary dust in January 2006, will fly past Tempel 1 in February 2011, looking for changes in the comet's nucleus since the Deep Impact flyby in 2005. NASA officials said that by utilizing existing spacecraft, the two new missions can be carried out for about 15 percent the cost of a new mission.
NASA announced late Tuesday that it has given new missions to a pair of spacecraft already in space that have completed their original missions. The Deep Impact mothership, which flew past comet Tempel 1 two years ago, observing the impact of a probe on the comet's nucleus, will be retargeted to fly past comet Boethin in December 2008. En route to the comet the spacecraft will also be used to observe several bright nearby stars known to have exoplanets; the observations will look for transits as the exoplanets pass in front of the stars, allowing astronomers to better characterize those worlds. The Stardust spacecraft, which remained in space after returning a probe containing cometary dust in January 2006, will fly past Tempel 1 in February 2011, looking for changes in the comet's nucleus since the Deep Impact flyby in 2005. NASA officials said that by utilizing existing spacecraft, the two new missions can be carried out for about 15 percent the cost of a new mission.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, March 19
Firefly Aerospace Selected for the 2025 Robert J. Collier Trophy
National Aeronautic Association — 5:22 am ET (0922 GMT) Satellite development begins for EUMETSAT Polar System – Sterna
EUMETSAT — 5:22 am ET (0922 GMT) Minotaur IV rocket motor stacking at Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex-8
US Space Force — 5:20 am ET (0920 GMT) MDA Space awarded contract with Canadian Department of National Defence to deliver Ground-Based Optical Capability for Space Surveillance
MDA — 5:18 am ET (0918 GMT) Rocket Lab wins record contract with US Department of War
Radio New Zealand — 5:17 am ET (0917 GMT) |
