| .....The goal is to obtain data from
a diverse range of comets, from a very
"evolved" comet such as Encke,
which has maintained a stable orbit for
thousands of years, to the possibility of
encountering a "new" comet that
has never been seen in this part of the
solar system. .....The
mission has the flexibility to include a
flyby of Comet d'Arrest in 2008, or to
retarget itself to approach an as-yet
undiscovered comet, perhaps originating
from beyond the orbit of Pluto. Such an
unforeseen cometary visitor to the inner
solar system, like Comet Hale-Bopp which
was discovered in 1995, would present a
rare opportunity to conduct a close-up
examination of these mysterious, ancient
objects which normally reside in the cold
depths of interstellar space.
|
