[Mb-civic] NASA Gears Up for Fourth of July 'Fireworks' in Space - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

NASA Gears Up for Fourth of July 'Fireworks' in Space
'Deep Impact' Craft to Arrange Crash Of 820-Pound Probe Into Comet Tempel 1

By Guy Gugliotta
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 3, 2005; Page A03

NASA has set up an Independence Day traffic accident in space, 
deliberately crashing an 820-pound spacecraft into an onrushing comet. 
The resulting impact should provide scientists with their best glimpse 
yet of what the solar system was made of when it was formed 4.5 billion 
years ago.

At 1:52 a.m. Eastern time tomorrow, barring a last-minute mishap, comet 
Tempel 1, a lumpy, Manhattan Island-size potato hurtling through space 
at 66,000 mph, will overtake the 820-pound "impactor" dropped off in its 
path by a NASA spacecraft poking along at 43,000 mph.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/02/AR2005070201323.html?referrer=email
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