Delta II | Deep Impact (DIF)

Deep Impact was to fly by Comet 9P/Tempel-1 on 3 July 2005. An impacter it released was to hit the comet on 4 July at 10.2 km/s, producing a crater and ejecta plume that would allow the flyby spacecraft to determine the composition and structure of the comet's nucleus.

Mission Details

  • Launch date: January 12, 2005 at 06:47 PM UTC
  • Launch vehicle: Delta II
  • Operator: United States Air Force
  • Launch site: Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
  • Mission type: Planetary Science