A Boeing Delta II rocket carries NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft as it lifts off in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 13, 2005. In a first-of-its-kind mission, the spacecraft was sent to gather information about the comet Temple 1. NASA declared the mission complete on Friday, September 20.
Deep Impact mission has ended —
A Boeing Delta II rocket carries NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft as it lifts off in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 13, 2005. In a first-of-its-kind mission, the spacecraft was sent to gather information about the comet Temple 1. NASA declared the mission complete on Friday, September 20.
JPL-Caltech/UMD/NASA
The Deep Impact spacecraft sent a smaller "impactor" spacecraft into the orbit of comet Temple 1, causing it collide with the comet. Moments before impact on July 4, 2005, Tempel 1 is pictured in this composite image. Deep Impact is the most-traveled comet-hunter mission in history.
Deep Impact mission has ended —
The Deep Impact spacecraft sent a smaller "impactor" spacecraft into the orbit of comet Temple 1, causing it collide with the comet. Moments before impact on July 4, 2005, Tempel 1 is pictured in this composite image. Deep Impact is the most-traveled comet-hunter mission in history.
JPL/UMD/NASA
This photo was taken 67 seconds after the smaller craft and comet collided.
Deep Impact mission has ended —
This photo was taken 67 seconds after the smaller craft and comet collided.
JPL-Caltech/UMD/NASA
The photo on the left shows the surface of Tempel 1 before the impactor hit the surface. The yellow spot shows the impact target and the arrow shows the direction the impactor traveled toward the surface. The photo on the right shows material kicked up by the impact.
Deep Impact mission has ended —
The photo on the left shows the surface of Tempel 1 before the impactor hit the surface. The yellow spot shows the impact target and the arrow shows the direction the impactor traveled toward the surface. The photo on the right shows material kicked up by the impact.
JPL-Caltech/University of Maryland/NASA
The Deep Impact spacecraft took this photo of Comet Hartley 2 on October 4, 2010, during NASA's EPOXI mission (a combination of two mission names: the Extrasolar Planet Observations and Characterization, and the Deep Impact Extended Investigation).
Deep Impact mission has ended —
The Deep Impact spacecraft took this photo of Comet Hartley 2 on October 4, 2010, during NASA's EPOXI mission (a combination of two mission names: the Extrasolar Planet Observations and Characterization, and the Deep Impact Extended Investigation).
JPL-Caltech/UMD/NASA
Part of the nucleus of comet Hartley 2 is captured during the EPOXI mission. The decision to declare the mission complete was made by the project team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, after it lost communication with the spacecraft after August 8 and could not reestablish it.
Deep Impact mission has ended —
Part of the nucleus of comet Hartley 2 is captured during the EPOXI mission. The decision to declare the mission complete was made by the project team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, after it lost communication with the spacecraft after August 8 and could not reestablish it.
JPL-Caltech/UMD/NASA