(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101104/LA95250)
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101104/LA95250)
The rendezvous with Hartley 2 is the third mission for the Deep Impact spacecraft. The first was in 2005 when the Impactor aboard the Deep Impact spacecraft collided with comet Tempel 1 and excavated debris from the comet's nucleus. Images captured by cameras aboard both the Impactor and the Flyby have been used by the scientific community to study the composition of Tempel 1. The second was the Extrasolar Planet Observation and Characterization (EPOCh) mission that ended in August 2008, providing observations of the Earth in both visible and infrared wavelengths.
"Deep Impact is proving to be a spacecraft that keeps on giving," said David L. Taylor, president and CEO of Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. "When it launched in January of 2005, the Deep Impact mission was the priority, so it's extremely rewarding to see a three-peat performance six years later that provides more beneficial science data."
Science observations of comet Hartley 2 began on Sept. 5, with the mission's encounter phase commencing the evening of Nov. 3, when the spacecraft was about eighteen hours from the time of closest approach to the comet's nucleus. The spacecraft flew past the comet at approximately 8 a.m. (MDT) on November 4 when the spacecraft was re-oriented to maintain imaging of the comet nucleus while pointing its high-gain antenna at Earth in order to begin downlinking nearly 5,800 images.
Hartley 2 is the fifth time that a comet has been imaged close-up. In the months leading up to its closest encounter with Comet Hartley 2, the spacecraft responded to multiple commands to align itself for optimum viewing. Approximately the size of a subcompact car, the spacecraft had already used about half of its 85 kg of hydrazine fuel to complete the encounter with Tempel 1. Following the Hartley 2 imaging, it will still have enough useable fuel, 4kg, to support science observations from its current orbit, should NASA task it with a new assignment.
Ball Aerospace was the 2005 Deep Impact mission prime contractor, responsible for the two-part spacecraft: the Impactor spacecraft and Flyby spacecraft; and three high resolution cameras; algorithm development; environmental testing; and launch and mission support. Since its launch, the Deep Impact spacecraft and mission team have logged 3.2 billion miles. Because the vast majority of mission costs are the initial design, testing and launch, the recycled Deep Impact provided savings on the order of 90 percent that of a hypothetical mission with similar goals, starting from the ground up.
Ball Aerospace was teamed with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Maryland on the Deep Impact and its subsequent missions. For more information about EPOXI visit epoxi.umd.edu/.
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions of important national agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft, advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation systems and RF solutions for strategic, tactical and scientific applications. For more information visit www.ballaerospace.com.
Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) is a supplier of high-quality packaging for beverage, food and household products customers, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 14,000 people worldwide and reported 2009 sales of more than $7.3 billion including discontinued operations.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99.2 in our Form 10-K, which are available at our website and at www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in product demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost reductions; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; and changes in foreign exchange rates or tax rates. Factors that might affect our aerospace segment include: funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts. Factors that might affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: accounting changes; changes in senior management; the current global recession and its effects on liquidity, credit risk, asset values and the economy; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures; integration of recently acquired businesses; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including in respect of climate change, or chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; governmental investigations; technological developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust, patent and other litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.
SOURCE Ball Aerospace
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