Deep Impact spacecraft completes rocket burn
Friday, October 5, 2012 - 13:30
in Astronomy & Space
NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft completed a firing of its onboard rocket motors Oct. 4. The maneuver began at 1 p.m. PDT (4 p.m. EDT), lasted 71 seconds, and changed its velocity by 4.5 mph (2 meters per second). The rocket burn was performed to keep the venerable comet hunter's options open for yet another exploration of a solar system small body, this time a possible future visit to a small near-Earth asteroid called 2002 GT.