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Deep Impact Blasts Off For Comet Tempel 1

Posted by timothy on from the this-tempel-is-a-body dept.

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."

14 of 203 comments (clear)

  1. Damn by TheKidWho · · Score: 4, Funny

    Where is Bruce Willis when you need him.

  2. editorializing by phriedom · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Do comets and our own planet have something in common? This clever mission could answer the question once and for all. "

    Very rarely is anything complex answered once and for all.

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  3. Re:How do instruments survive the crash?? by grub · · Score: 5, Informative


    That's all mentioned in the article, which I'm sure you read but forgot. A TV sized unit will seperate a day earlier and go smack into the "big rock". The other craft will monitor from a safe distance.

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  4. Intentional? by StevenHenderson · · Score: 5, Funny
    For the first time, NASA is setting off on a collision course with a comet

    Good to see that for once a crash-course is intentional for NASA. Mayhap they have found their niche... :)

  5. I was just thinking... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The goal is to blast a big hole in the comet and check out what's preserved inside.

    Is that what has happened to the goatse-guy?

  6. As always ..... by deglr6328 · · Score: 4, Informative

    As always there are updates at spaceflightnow.com. It appears the spacecraft has safed itself as of a few minutes ago....not good.

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    - "Hear that?! The percolations are imminent! Cease your ingress!"
    1. Re:As always ..... by Halthar · · Score: 5, Funny

      It means the rocket blue screened and rebooted inself into safe mode. Unfortunately as a result of this it's only going to send back images at 640x480.

  7. future news by Norgus · · Score: 5, Funny
    "nasa accidentally redirects comet, now headed for earth"

    Doh!

  8. Re: I betcha by wasted · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't know if they will find rock or not. I looked inside of my can of Comet(TM) and all that is inside is some greenish white cleanser.

  9. Perhaps the most interesting quote of the article by heyitsme · · Score: 4, Funny

    The impactor will disintegrate instantly when it hits, as will its small payload, a compact disc containing more than 500,000 names of people who wanted to vicariously tag along.

    Man, I want to be on that CD!

  10. What's inside? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Rock.
    M$'s sense of morality.
    Linux community's sense of Joe6Pack Useability(tm)
    A chewy creamy center

  11. Re:I betcha by Datamonstar · · Score: 4, Funny

    There is another slightly smaller comet inside...

    --
    The eternal struggle of good vs. evil begins within one's self.
  12. Who wouldn't? by Racter · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's the ultimate disc of greatest hits.

  13. Childish, I know . . . by Raccroc · · Score: 5, Funny

    Deep Impact - $330 millon dollars and it looks like a vibrator...Where the fuck are the jokes?