July 5th 05, 06:16 PM
http://www.ballaerospace.com/media/nr07_04_05.html
Ball Aerospace News Release
Contact:
(303) 533-5089
Ball Aerospace Instruments Capture Images of Deep Impact's Independence
Day Fireworks
BOULDER, Colo. - July 4, 2005 - Deep Impact, the
spacecraft pair designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies
Corp., accomplished its remarkable goal of colliding with deep-space
comet Tempel 1 and excavating material from the nucleus of the comet.
Together, the Flyby spacecraft and the Impactor spacecraft feature some
of the most sophisticated technology ever developed for deep space
flight, including three advanced instruments for imaging the comet.
Deep Impact employs the Medium Resolution Imager (MRI); a High
Resolution Imager (HRI); and an Impactor Targeting Sensor (ITS). The
HRI
is the primary science instrument for the mission, composed of a
telescope with a 30-centimeter (11.8 inch) aperture, an infrared (IR)
spectrometer, and a multi-spectral CCD camera.
The Impactor, a battery-powered "smart" probe, separated from its Flyby
"mothership" approximately 24-hours prior to encounter. Its optical
camera then successfully enabled an autonomous navigation system to
target the comet's nucleus.
Multiple Ball Aerospace-built instruments were also involved in
recording the Deep Impact collision. All three of NASA's Great
Observatories - Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra - were tasked for the
event.
Ball Aerospace played a significant role in all of these observatories.
The Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys, built by Ball
Aerospace and installed in HST in 2002, will perform spectroscopic
observations and gather imagery at the time of impact. The Spitzer
Space
Telescope, observing in the infrared, will look for changes in the
chemical composition of the comet's coma. Ball Aerospace designed the
Cryogenic Telescope Assembly (CTA) for Spitzer, which launched in
August
of 2003. The Chandra X-ray Observatory will look for emission of X-rays
during encounter. Ball built the Chandra's science instrument module
and
fine aspect camera.
Other Ball-built technologies involved in viewing the collision with
the
comet include NASA's Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS). It
will observe Tempel 1 during the months of June and July to monitor
changes in water production from the comet before and after the impact.
Ball Aerospace is known for its capabilities in designing sophisticated
instruments, cameras and spacecraft for space applications. The company
has built seven instruments for Hubble, including COSTAR, the
corrective
optics that fixed the Hubble Space Telescope's flawed vision. Together
with the instruments on Deep Impact, a total of seven Ball telescopes
will contribute to the science of the Deep Impact mission.
"Deep Impact's complexity and degree of difficulty cannot be
understated," said David L. Taylor, president and CEO of Ball Aerospace
& Technologies Corp. "Our company is known for developing technology
for
the most difficult challenges. The performance of the Deep Impact
spacecraft and the combined efforts of the other observatories involved
demonstrates the enormous capability of our talented and creative
engineers and scientists."
The encounter with Tempel 1 occurred nearly 83 million miles from Earth
and at closing speeds approaching 23,000 miles per hour. After imaging
the encounter and sailing through the tail of the departing comet in a
protected shield mode, the Flyby spacecraft continues to perform
flawlessly.
Ball Aerospace was teamed with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the
University of Maryland on the Deep Impact mission. Images generated
from
Earth and space-based observatories will be analyzed in the coming
months and resulting discoveries being released as they become
available. Deep Impact is the eighth mission in NASA's Discovery
Program, and the first mission to attempt to impact with a comet
nucleus
in order to probe beneath its surface.
For more information about the company's technology and the Deep Impact
mission, visit www.ballaerospace.com .
Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) is a supplier of
metal and plastic packaging products, primarily for the beverage and
food industries. The company also owns Ball Aerospace & Technologies
Corp., which develops sensors, spacecraft, systems and components for
government and commercial markets. Ball Corporation employs more than
13,200 people and reported 2004 sales of $5.4 billion.
Ball Aerospace News Release
Contact:
(303) 533-5089
Ball Aerospace Instruments Capture Images of Deep Impact's Independence
Day Fireworks
BOULDER, Colo. - July 4, 2005 - Deep Impact, the
spacecraft pair designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies
Corp., accomplished its remarkable goal of colliding with deep-space
comet Tempel 1 and excavating material from the nucleus of the comet.
Together, the Flyby spacecraft and the Impactor spacecraft feature some
of the most sophisticated technology ever developed for deep space
flight, including three advanced instruments for imaging the comet.
Deep Impact employs the Medium Resolution Imager (MRI); a High
Resolution Imager (HRI); and an Impactor Targeting Sensor (ITS). The
HRI
is the primary science instrument for the mission, composed of a
telescope with a 30-centimeter (11.8 inch) aperture, an infrared (IR)
spectrometer, and a multi-spectral CCD camera.
The Impactor, a battery-powered "smart" probe, separated from its Flyby
"mothership" approximately 24-hours prior to encounter. Its optical
camera then successfully enabled an autonomous navigation system to
target the comet's nucleus.
Multiple Ball Aerospace-built instruments were also involved in
recording the Deep Impact collision. All three of NASA's Great
Observatories - Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra - were tasked for the
event.
Ball Aerospace played a significant role in all of these observatories.
The Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys, built by Ball
Aerospace and installed in HST in 2002, will perform spectroscopic
observations and gather imagery at the time of impact. The Spitzer
Space
Telescope, observing in the infrared, will look for changes in the
chemical composition of the comet's coma. Ball Aerospace designed the
Cryogenic Telescope Assembly (CTA) for Spitzer, which launched in
August
of 2003. The Chandra X-ray Observatory will look for emission of X-rays
during encounter. Ball built the Chandra's science instrument module
and
fine aspect camera.
Other Ball-built technologies involved in viewing the collision with
the
comet include NASA's Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS). It
will observe Tempel 1 during the months of June and July to monitor
changes in water production from the comet before and after the impact.
Ball Aerospace is known for its capabilities in designing sophisticated
instruments, cameras and spacecraft for space applications. The company
has built seven instruments for Hubble, including COSTAR, the
corrective
optics that fixed the Hubble Space Telescope's flawed vision. Together
with the instruments on Deep Impact, a total of seven Ball telescopes
will contribute to the science of the Deep Impact mission.
"Deep Impact's complexity and degree of difficulty cannot be
understated," said David L. Taylor, president and CEO of Ball Aerospace
& Technologies Corp. "Our company is known for developing technology
for
the most difficult challenges. The performance of the Deep Impact
spacecraft and the combined efforts of the other observatories involved
demonstrates the enormous capability of our talented and creative
engineers and scientists."
The encounter with Tempel 1 occurred nearly 83 million miles from Earth
and at closing speeds approaching 23,000 miles per hour. After imaging
the encounter and sailing through the tail of the departing comet in a
protected shield mode, the Flyby spacecraft continues to perform
flawlessly.
Ball Aerospace was teamed with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the
University of Maryland on the Deep Impact mission. Images generated
from
Earth and space-based observatories will be analyzed in the coming
months and resulting discoveries being released as they become
available. Deep Impact is the eighth mission in NASA's Discovery
Program, and the first mission to attempt to impact with a comet
nucleus
in order to probe beneath its surface.
For more information about the company's technology and the Deep Impact
mission, visit www.ballaerospace.com .
Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) is a supplier of
metal and plastic packaging products, primarily for the beverage and
food industries. The company also owns Ball Aerospace & Technologies
Corp., which develops sensors, spacecraft, systems and components for
government and commercial markets. Ball Corporation employs more than
13,200 people and reported 2004 sales of $5.4 billion.