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Deep Impact Blasts Off For Comet Tempel 1
Wynken de Word writes "NASA's Deep Impact, a copper-fortified, comet-busting spacecraft, was launched Wednesday afternoon. 'NASA had a single second - at precisely eight seconds past 1:47 p.m. - to send Deep Impact on a 431-million-kilometre, six-month voyage to Comet Tempel 1.' The goal is to blast a big hole in the comet and check out what's preserved inside. Also see the Deep Impact site."
"cor! they put a ding in our chariot! call AAA!"
I sure hope they did a better job of packing this one.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
We, as a race, don't know all that much really about "whats out there." But we are still able to figure out where a comet is going to be an how to impact it. But did we stop to think about the possible implications this mission could have on the universe? They were talking on the news about how it will probably make a crater the size of a football field. We already know that that is a huge amount of force.
Think about it like this, you have an 800 pound mass (the 1st rocket, destined for impact) traveling at 37000 kph. Effectively creating the force of 4 and a half tons of TNT going off. If this explosion happened at the surface it would probably make no difference whatsoever, but its not. Will this impact alter the trajectory of the comet? It might only slightly shift it, but for a planet far far away, that slight shift might be enough to cause a ELE on the planet that the comet might now ultamitely hit.
I realize its a longshot scenario, and I'm sure taken into account at some point. But was it taken seriously enough?
Anyway, just my little, "are we considering everything" thoughts....
Memories become legend, Legend fades to myth, and even myth is forgotten by the time that age comes again.-Robert Jordan
On a related topic, Huygens impacts Saturn 36 hours from the time of this posting. This is the most distant physical impact ever (since Galileo sailed into Jupiter's clouds). Will we find rock, ice, or a hydrocarbon ocean?
First, NASA is fixing the shuttle as much as it can be fixed. We really need a better launch system for humans and probably a separate heavy launch system. Shuttle reliability and cost/kg in orbit have some integral problems.
Second, there's a heck of a lot we need to know about space. For example, the comet will tell us what the early solar system was made of. This is useful in that it tells us about the remnants of supernovas that produce most of the elements we're made of (except for hydrogen). The data will help us fine-tune our understanding of how our solar system was created - are Earth-like planets rare or common?
Lastly, taking a longer view, this is a preparatory mission for man's emergence from the cradle Earth. We'll know what comets are made of, how they're put together (rubble or solid) and what we'll need to know to move them. Why move a comet? Two reasons - one, if one's aimed at Earth, it would be a useful skill. Two, if you want to provide a cheap source of water, comets might be a good source, either placed into orbit, or deposited on Mars for use by colonies later.
Karma Killer:
I for one welcome our comet-moving overlords - as long as it's we ourselves.
In Russia, the probe hits the comet!
This sig seemed like a good idea at the time....
I know you are kidding, but on the off chance that anyone actually believes that: the impact is a bit like trowing a pingpong ball in front of a speeding truck. There is simply not enough kinetic energy to significantly alter the orbit of the comet, definately not enough to put it in an Earth intercepting orbit.
karma capped
'The goal is to blast a big hole in the comet and check out what's preserved inside.'
Won't the impact change the makeup/properties of what *was* preserved inside? If nothing else, it's going to have a higher than normal copper content (and some bits of plastic from that CD).
On the other hand, it does sound like fun. I *love* blowing stuff up!!!