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Deep Impact Mission Design

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Abstract

The Deep Impact mission is designed to provide the first opportunity to probe below the surface of a comet nucleus by a high-speed impact. This requires finding a suitable comet with launch and encounter conditions that allow a meaningful scientific experiment. The overall design requires the consideration of many factors ranging from environmental characteristics of the comet (nucleus size, dust levels, etc.), to launch dates fitting within the NASA Discovery program opportunities, to launch vehicle capability for a large impactor, to the observational conditions for the two approaching spacecraft and for telescopes on Earth.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Mail Stop 301-140L, Pasadena, CA, 91109, U.S.A.

    William H. Blume

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  1. William H. Blume
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Correspondence to William H. Blume.

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Blume, W.H. Deep Impact Mission Design. Space Sci Rev 117, 23–42 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-005-3386-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-005-3386-4

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