Deep Impact in trouble: last heard from August 8

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla

2013/09/04 01:10 CDT

Topics: mission status, Deep Impact

A terse update on the status of the aging Deep Impact spacecraft was posted on the mission website this morning:

We have not received any of our expected observations of comet ISON due to a spacecraft problem. Communication with the spacecraft was lost some time between August 11 and August 14 (we only talk to the spacecraft about once per week). The last communication was on August 8. After considerable effort, the team on August 30 determined the cause of the problem. The team is now trying to determine how best to try to recover communication.

As long as controllers are communicating with a spacecraft, there is hope. When they are not in communication with a spacecraft, that's pretty scary. Good luck to the Deep Impact team on recovering the spacecraft for a future comet or asteroid encounter. It's a great little mission.

Tip of the hat to Amy Mainzer.

NASA / JPL

Deep Impact

A lack of information for a Deep Impact update

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2005/08/24 08:00 CDT

I had very much hoped to be able to post an update about the Deep Impact mission this week, but it looks like my various sources are keeping very very quiet (or maybe they are just tired of me pestering them :)

A Deep Impact update

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2005/07/28 09:28 CDT

We haven't forgotten about Deep Impact, but there's still no word on the crater size.

Deep Impact Sets a New Course as Tempel 1 Returns to Normal

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2005/07/20 05:53 CDT

With its mission at Tempel 1 over, the Deep Impact spacecraft has altered its course in order to allow a future mission at another comet.

Deep Impact Data Surprises Scientists

Posted by A.J.S. Rayl on 2005/07/12 11:00 CDT

When Deep Impact crashed into the nucleus of Tempel 1 at 23,000 miles per hour on July 4, it sent a huge, bright cloud of stuff upward and outward from the comet, providing a spectacular image that is already assured a place in the space history books, and may well be seared into the brains of all those who watched the event.

Another gorgeous Deep Impact image

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2005/07/06 04:51 CDT

The team has just released a really pretty high-resolution view of Tempel 1 just 67 seconds after the impact.

Reflecting on Deep Impact

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2005/07/05 09:40 CDT

So yesterday, after covering the Deep Impact press conference at JPL and recording for Planetary Radio, my husband and I drove to his parents' house for an Independence Day barbeque. When I explained the nature of the Deep Impact mission my mother-in-law exclaimed, "What! What gives you the right to go around smashing up a comet that was minding its own business?"

Rockin' to Bill Haley and his Comets

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2005/07/05 05:55 CDT

There was a stage set up on the steps of the administration building, and the quad in front of it was filled with JPLers of all ages and descriptions. Rick Grammier and Don Yeomans introduced the band -- five guys, all members of the band since 1953 or earlier, still rockin' and rollin'.

News: Deep Impact Delivers the Science; Years of Work Ahead for Science Team

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2005/07/04 02:21 CDT

"Our cratering experiment went very very well," reported impact scientist Peter Schultz in what may have been the understatement of the weekend. A first look at early science results from the mission suggest that while some events unfolded according to scientists' predictions, Tempel 1 provided many enticing surprises as well.

The Deep Impact Impact onto Tempel 1 as witnessed by Hubble

Notes from the morning-after press conference

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2005/07/04 10:55 CDT

Here in Von Karman auditorium at JPL, as they get ready for the press conference, they are playing "Rock Around the Clock," by Bill Haley and His Comets. Very appropriate! The press panel is mostly familiar: Andy Danztler, Rick Grammier, Shyam Bhaskaran, Mike A'Hearn, and Pete Schultz.

Views of Tempel 1

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2005/07/04 10:47 CDT

It looks like the European Space Agency was busy overnight -- lots of great Earth- and space- based images of the impact have been appearing on various websites.