PLOW THROUGH OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
BY THE TRILLIONS.
SOME COMET NUCLEI ARE OVER 100 MILES IN DIAMETER
AND TRAVEL AT SPEEDS OF 60,000 MILES PER HOUR.
SOONER OR LATER, ONE OF THESE MONSTERS WILL STRIKE EARTH...
...UNLESS SCIENTISTS CAN LEARN HOW TO DEFLECT OR DESTROY THEM.
BUT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT COMETS ARE MADE OF,
AND WHAT WE DON'T KNOW COULD KILL US.
IN 2005, A $330 MILLION BULLET WAS SHOT INTO SPACE
ON A NASA MISSION CALLED "DEEP IMPACT."
A'Hearn: WE'RE DOING SOMETHING NOBODY HAS DONE.
WE HAVE ONLY ONE CHANCE.
IT'S ALL OR NOTHING ON THE FIRST TRY.
Narrator: THE TARGET WAS THE HEART OF A COMET.
THE GOAL, TO LEARN AT LAST WHAT THESE KILLERS ARE MADE OF.
Belton: WE NEED TO GO INTO SPACE AND TO THE COMET
TO CREATE AN ENORMOUS EXPLOSION
THAT EXCAVATES THIS ENORMOUS HOLE.
Schultz: WE'VE BEEN HIT BY COMETS. WE'VE BEEN HIT BY ASTEROIDS.
THIS TIME WE GET TO TAKE THE REVENGE,
AND WE'RE GOING TO SLAM INTO THE COMET ITSELF.
Narrator: SCIENTISTS TELL THE INCREDIBLE STORY
OF HOW THEY SMASHED A PROBE INTO A COMET ON THE FOURTH OF JULY
AND WHY FIREWORKS LIKE THESE COULD SOMEDAY SAVE OUR PLANET.
YOU'VE GOT IMAGES OF THINGS THAT BLOW OUR MINDS AWAY.
I HAVEN'T HAD SUCH AN ADRENALINE RUSH SINCE MY FIRST DATE.
IT WAS PERFECT TODAY.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE HAD BUILT THIS SPACECRAFT TO DO.
Narrator: THE ODDS OF AN EARTH-COMET COLLISION
ARE ASTRONOMICALLY LOW,
AND ASTRONOMERS HOPE THEY STAY THAT WAY.
THE REASON THEY FEAR THESE ROGUES FROM SPACE
WAS ESTABLISHED NOT LONG AGO,
WHEN A MASSIVE INTRUDER BROKE INTO OUR COSMIC BACKYARD.
Zahnle: THE RUMOR SPREAD AROUND THAT A COMET WAS GOING TO HIT JUPITER,
AND SINCE YOU HAVEN'T A CLUE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, REALLY,
EVERY ASTRONOMER IN THE WORLD
WENT OUT THERE TO THEIR TELESCOPE AND LOOKED.
Narrator: ON JULY 16, 1994,
ASTRONOMERS TRACKED A COMET NAMED SHOEMAKER-LEVY 9
AS IT RACED TOWARDS JUPITER
AT A SPEED OF 130,000 MILES PER HOUR.
JUPITER IS THE LARGEST MEMBER IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
AS SHOEMAKER-LEVY CLOSED IN,
THE PLANET'S GRAVITATIONAL FORCES
TORE THE COMET INTO COLOSSAL CHUNKS.
SOME WERE LARGER THAN THE ISLAND OF MANHATTAN.
DAYS LATER,
ASTRONOMERS WITNESSED THE LARGEST COMET IMPACTS
IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE.
THE SHEER SIZE OF THE BLAST ZONES WAS A WAKE-UP CALL
TO EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD ON OUR PLANET.
Zahnle: IF YOU SAW THE IMAGES OF JUPITER TAKEN AFTERWARD,
YOU SEE THESE SPOTS.
AND THOSE SPOTS WERE COMPARABLE IN SIZE
TO THE AREA OF THE EARTH -- VERY BIG.
AND YOU COULD IMAGINE THAT EARTH WAS NOT ISOLATED
IN THE UNIVERSE, THAT IT'S NOT PERFECTLY SAFE.
BAD THINGS HAPPEN.
Narrator: AND 50,000 YEARS AGO, THEY HAPPENED HERE,
IN THE BADLANDS OF WHAT TODAY IS NORTHERN ARIZONA.
AN ASTEROID FRAGMENT 80 FEET IN DIAMETER
PUNCHED A CRATER INTO THE GROUND ALMOST A MILE ACROSS
AND 500 FEET DEEP.
THE IMPACT EXPLOSION EQUALED THE FORCE
OF 1,000 HIROSHIMA BOMBS.
BUT ON THE SLIDING SCALE OF PLANETARY DISASTERS,
EARTH WAS LUCKY, ACCORDING TO IMPACT SPECIALIST PETER SCHULTZ.
Schultz: ALMOST EVERY PLANET IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM
HAS ONE GIANT IMPACT, WHERE IF IT HAD BEEN A LITTLE BIT BIGGER,
IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE DESTROYED IT.
OH, MY GOSH.
WHEN YOU SEE THIS, YOU REALIZE THE POWER,
JUST THE ENORMOUS POWER.
SOMETHING THAT WAS QUITE SMALL CAME IN SO FAST --
JUST TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY.
Narrator: ASTEROIDS ARE BUILT FROM METALS AND ROCK.
BUT NO ONE REALLY KNOWS HOW TO MAKE A COMET.
ONE MAN WAS DETERMINED TO FIND OUT.
ASTRONOMER MIKE BELTON BELIEVED
THAT THE ONLY WAY TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY
WAS TO LITERALLY BLAST SOME CLUES FROM A SPEEDING COMET.
Belton: WE NEED TO GO INTO SPACE AND TO THE COMET ITSELF,
IN ORDER TO SEE WHAT'S UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE,
BY COLLIDING SOMETHING WITH THE COMET
TO CREATE AN ENORMOUS EXPLOSION OR LIBERATION OF ENERGY
THAT EXCAVATES THIS ENORMOUS HOLE.
Narrator: THE PLAN CALLS FOR A SPACECRAFT
TO PERFORM A COSMIC BIOPSY
BY FIRING A HIGH-TECH PROJECTILE INTO THE HEART OF THE COMET.
BUT WOULD THE PATIENT COOPERATE?
TO FIND OUT, BELTON CONSULTED A DOCTOR OF SORTS,
IMPACT PHYSICIST JAY MELOSH.
Melosh: HE CAME TO ME IN MY OFFICE AND SAID,
"IF I RAN A 500-KILOGRAM SPACECRAFT
INTO A COMET AT 10 KILOMETERS A SECOND,
HOW BIG A HOLE WOULD IT MAKE?"
AND I DID SOME SIMPLE CALCULATIONS,
AND WE CAME UP WITH THE ANSWER THAT IT MIGHT BLOW A HOLE
300 TO 500 FEET IN DIAMETER
AND PROBABLY 50 TO 100 FEET DEEP.
AT THAT, MIKE SAID, "AHA, WE HAVE A MISSION."
SO, IN 1999, NASA BEGAN A PROJECT CALLED "DEEP IMPACT" --
A PREEMPTIVE ATTACK ON A COMET
TO FINALLY SEE WHAT THE MONSTERS WERE MADE OF.
Schultz: WE'VE BEEN HIT BY COMETS. WE'VE BEEN HIT BY ASTEROIDS.
THIS TIME WE GET TO TAKE THE REVENGE,
AND WE'RE GOING TO SLAM INTO THE COMET ITSELF.
Narrator: SCHULTZ JOINED A TEAM OF ASTRONOMERS,
ASTROPHYSICISTS, AND ENGINEERS ASSEMBLED BY NASA.
THEIR MISSION BEGAN IN A CONFERENCE ROOM
AND WOULD HOPEFULLY END SIX YEARS LATER
ON THE SURFACE OF A COMET.
BUT WE GOT TO GET THAT SCHEDULE LAID OUT.
I THINK FUNDAMENTALLY, WE AGREE.
Narrator: THE "DEEP IMPACT" SPACECRAFT WILL TRAVEL
AT A CRUISING SPEED OF 64,000 MILES PER HOUR
FOR APPROXIMATELY 170 DAYS.
ONBOARD COMPUTERS WILL UPDATE SCIENTISTS EACH STEP OF THE WAY,
WITH THE CRAFT'S POSITION
RELATIVE TO THE EARTH, THE SUN, AND THE STARS.
THE GOAL IS TO INTERCEPT A COMET MOVING THROUGH SPACE
AND LAUNCH A PROBE CALLED AN IMPACTOR
DIRECTLY INTO THE COMET'S PATH.
THE COLLISION SHOULD GENERATE A MOUNTAIN OF DATA,
PROVIDING CLUES TO THE SECRET INGREDIENTS OF COMETS...
...ASSUMING, OF COURSE, THAT THE NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEMS
PUT THE SHIP IN OPTIMAL POSITION FOR THE BIG SHOT.
THE LOCK OPERATES ON A 10-BITS-PER-SECOND LOAD UNIT.
Yeomans: WE'VE HAD FLY-BYS OF COMETS BEFORE.
THOSE MISSIONS WERE DIFFICULT
BUT NOTHING COMPARED TO THE "DEEP IMPACT" MISSION,
WHERE YOU'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO HIT IT,
SORT OF LIKE TRYING TO PICK OFF A BUG IN MIDFLIGHT
WITH A BULLET SHOT.
Narrator: AT BALL AEROSPACE,
PROGRAM MANAGERS MONTE HENDERSON AND JOHN MARRIOTT
BEGIN THE ARDUOUS JOURNEY FROM SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT
TO ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION OF A COMPLEX SPACECRAFT.
Marriott: WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU SIT DOWN WITH THE DIFFERENT SCIENTISTS,
AND THEY WILL EXPLAIN WHAT THEIR IDEAS ARE,
AND THEY SEEM SO FOREIGN,
SO DIFFICULT,
NEAR IMPOSSIBLE.
YOU LEAVE THE MEETINGS SCRATCHING YOUR HEAD, GOING...
"OH, OKAY, WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS?"
SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT.
IF I ROTATE THE SPACECRAFT LIKE THIS,
WE'RE GOING TO RELEASE THE IMPACTOR SPACECRAFT AHEAD
TOWARDS THE NUCLEUS OF THE COMET.
WE'RE GONNA DO A DIVERT BURN TO MISS THE NUCLEUS
WITH THE FLY-BY SPACECRAFT
SO THAT THE FLY-BY SPACECRAFT DOESN'T IMPACT THE NUCLEUS.
KEEPING THE COMET IN THE FIELD OF VIEW.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO IMAGE THE CRATER
AND TURN TO A SAFE MODE
AND THEN GO THROUGH THE COMA -- THE TAIL OF THE COMET --
INTO THE DUST FIELD, AND SURVIVE.
WE HAVE MAKE IT LIGHT ENOUGH TO GET OFF THE GROUND.
ON THIS PROGRAM, NOBODY CAN BE AFRAID TO TAKE A RISK
BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT RELYING ON ANY HISTORICAL PROGRAM TO SAY,
"THIS IS HOW THEY DID IT IN THE PAST,"
BECAUSE NO ONE'S DONE THIS BEFORE.
Narrator: AS THE ENGINEERS SWEAT THE DETAILS,
ASTRONOMERS FACE A CHALLENGE OF THEIR OWN...
...CHOOSING THE RIGHT VICTIM FOR A PLANNED AMBUSH
IN DEEP SPACE.
COMETS ARE TIME CAPSULES
FORMED AT THE BIRTH OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
4 1/2 BILLION YEARS AGO,
A GREAT CLOUD OF DUST AND GAS CONGEALED,
FORMING THE INNER PLANETS.
OTHER DUST WAS EJECTED INTO THE FRIGID CORNERS
OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM, WHERE IT COOLED AND COALESCED.
IN THE PROCESS,
WATER, CARBON, AND A HOST OF UNKNOWN INGREDIENTS
COMBINED TO BECOME COMETS.
THEY NUMBER IN THE TRILLIONS.
AND WITH LUCK, ONE OF THEM WILL SOON REST
IN THE GUNSIGHTS OF A SPACECRAFT.
BUT THE "DEEP IMPACT" TEAM HAS JUST ONE CHANCE TO HIT THE MARK.
AND PETER SCHULTZ IS DETERMINED TO MAKE THAT ONE SHOT COUNT.
AT THE NASA CENTER IN AMES, CALIFORNIA,
HE'LL DESIGN AN EXPERIMENT TO SIMULATE
WHAT COULD HAPPEN WHEN THE IMPACTOR STRIKES A COMET.
FOR THE IMPACT PART, HE'LL USE THE MOTHER OF ALL GUNS.
FOR THE COMET, A LITTLE FREEZE-DRIED WITCHCRAFT.
AH, MAN.
THAT'S -- THAT'S COLD.
WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT COMETS ARE MADE OUT OF.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT IT'S COMPLEX ORGANICS,
SO WE NEED TO STEW UP SOMETHING INTERESTING.
A LITTLE BIT OF COLORING
BECAUSE THERE'S ORGANICS
IN THIS MATERIAL.
THEN WE ADD SOME SUGAR.
THEN WE ADD SOME NITROGEN -- NOT TOO MUCH, JUST A DASH.
AND THEN, FINALLY, THE PIèCE DE RéSISTANCE --
THIS IS MY SECRET MIX FOR A COMET.
IT'S WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE.
IN FACT, ONE POSSIBILITY FOR A COMET
IS THAT IT WILL HAVE THIS MIXTURE
OF CARBON AND HYDROGEN AND NITROGEN, OXYGEN,
ALL PUT TOGETHER IN A STABLE POSITION WHEN IT'S REALLY COLD.
BUT WHEN THE IMPACTOR HITS,
WE MAY GET AN EXPLOSION WE DIDN'T COUNT ON.
Narrator: WHEN THE SPACECRAFT RELEASES THE IMPACTOR...
THERE ARE THREE LIKELY SCENARIOS.
IF THE COMET'S INTERIOR IS TOO HARD,
THE IMPACT MAY PRODUCE ONLY A SMALL CRATER.
IF THE COMET'S COMPOSITION IS POROUS AND SOFT...
...THE IMPACTOR COULD PLOW BENEATH THE SURFACE
AND VANISH WITHOUT A TRACE.
BUT IF THE COMET IS AS DENSE AS RESEARCHERS BELIEVE,
THE COLLISION WILL PRODUCE A CRATER
JUST LARGE ENOUGH TO REVEAL WHAT COMETS ARE MADE OF.
SIMULATING THE EFFECTS OF THIS HIGH-SPEED IMPACT
ARE IMPOSSIBLE.
BUT NASA's VERTICAL GUN MAY BE FAST ENOUGH TO YIELD SOME CLUES.
IT CAN FIRE PROJECTILES AT 4 MILES PER SECOND.
SHOWTIME. YOU GUYS ALMOST READY?
OKAY. [ CHUCKLES ]
YEAH.
FOR THIS TEST,
SCHULTZ'S PIZZA-LIKE TARGET SIMULATES A COMET
WITH A HARD CRUST AND A SOFT FILLING.
Schultz: WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS TO SLAM THROUGH THIS TARGET
AT A VELOCITY OR SPEED OF FOUR MILES PER SECOND.
THIS UPPER SURFACE HAS NO CHANCE.
IT'S GONNA BE BROKEN APART, PULVERIZED,
AS THE PROJECTILE GOES DOWN INTO THE TARGET
AND RIPS THE SURFACE APART --
AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT WE THINK WE'LL SEE.
.62 -- THAT'S GOOD.
OKAY, WE'RE READY THEN.
OKAY.
[ EXPLOSION ]
OH!
Narrator: THE TEST CREATES A HUGE FLASH.
JEEZ, THAT REALLY BLEW A HOLE.
AND THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS ON THE TARGET ARE INTRIGUING.
THAT'S A SURPRISE.
I DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE, NUMBER ONE, THAT BIG.
NUMBER TWO -- WELL, IT SHOWS A SHARP EDGE.
THE INTERESTING THING IS IT SHOWS THE SHARP EDGE.
BUT I GOT TO SEE THIS IN REAL TIME.
I JUST GOT TO GO SEE IT.
THE IMPACT WAS CAPTURED IN SLOW MOTION
BY A 500-FRAME-PER-SECOND CAMERA.
Schultz: THERE IT COMES.
THAT'S AMAZING.
THE WHOLE THING BEGINS TO CRACK APART.
IT SPLITS, AND YOU HAVE AN EXPLOSION BELOW THE GROUND.
THIS IMPACT WENT IN, BURIED ITSELF,
AND NOW IT JUST -- POOF.
Narrator: THE TEST PROVES ONLY ONE THING --
WHEN PREDICTING THE AFTERMATH OF A COMET COLLISION,
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.
HERE, I'M PLAYING IN THIS SANDBOX,
AND NOW WE'RE GONNA DO THE REAL THING
AT VELOCITIES WE CAN'T EVEN DO WITH MASSES WE REALLY CAN'T DO.
AND WE'LL WATCH THIS REAL-TIME.
IT'S LIKE THE CULMINATION OF THE GRANDEST EXPERIMENT
THAT YOU CAN REALLY THINK OF.
Narrator: SCHULTZ'S RECIPE FOR COMETS
IS BASED ON EVIDENCE PULLED FROM THIN AIR.
THOUSANDS OF SMALL COMETS
DISINTEGRATE IN OUR ATMOSPHERE EVERY DAY.
NASA SCIENTIST MIKE ZOLENSKY SENDS HIGH-ALTITUDE JETS
TO SIFT THE REMAINS FROM THE SKY,
BUT THE DUST COMES FROM THE COMET'S SURFACE
AND NOT ITS CORE.
Zolensky: AS COMETS CIRCLE THE SUN,
THE OUTER MATERIAL GETS PROCESSED,
AND WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON
WITH THE MATERIAL THAT'S DEEP.
AND "DEEP IMPACT"'S MAIN GOAL
IS TO EXPOSE THAT MATERIAL TO THE SURFACE
SO WE CAN LOOK AT IT FOR THE FIRST TIME AND SEE,
"WHAT'S THE INTERIOR OF A COMET LIKE?"
IS IT A GIANT HONEYCOMB MASS? IS IT A SOLID SNOWBALL?
IS IT ROCKY? NOBODY KNOWS.
Narrator: ALSO IN DOUBT IS THE IDENTITY AND LOCATION
OF A SUITABLE COMET FOR THE "DEEP IMPACT" RENDEZVOUS.
HUNDREDS OF THEM TEAR THROUGH THE SOLAR SYSTEM BY THE SECOND,
BUT ONLY A HANDFUL OF COMETS WILL BE IN RANGE
WHEN "DEEP IMPACT" GOES INTO SPACE.
AFTER MONTHS OF SEARCHING,
ASTRONOMERS SHOOT THIS MUG SHOT OF A COMET NAMED TEMPEL 1.
WHILE TEMPEL IS 9 MILES LONG, FINDING IT WON'T BE EASY.
THE COMET'S CRUISING SPEED IS ROUGHLY 66,000 MILES PER HOUR.
IT'S DON YEOMANS'S JOB TO HIT THE ULTIMATE MOVING TARGET
FROM AN ALMOST INCOMPREHENSIBLE DISTANCE.
Yeomans: YEAH, THE SPACECRAFT IS GOING TO FLY
ABOUT 250 MILLION MILES TO THE COMET,
AND IT'S OUR JOB TO TELL THEM WHERE THE COMET IS
WHEN THEY ARRIVE TO WITHIN ABOUT 20 MILES.
Narrator: COMETS ARE THE WAYWARD SONS OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
EVERY FIVE YEARS,
TEMPEL DROPS INSIDE THE ORBITS OF MARS AND EARTH,
AND THIS TIME, NASA WILL BE WAITING.
[ BEETHOVEN'S "MOONLIGHT SONATA" PLAYS ]
THE ORIGINS OF OUR MOON REMAIN A MYSTERY,
AND ASTRONOMERS LIKE MICHAEL A'HEARN
KNOW EVEN LESS ABOUT COMETS.
A'Hearn: BY THE TIME THE COMET GETS IN CLOSE TO THE EARTH,
IT IS SURROUNDED BY THIS COMA.
THEY'RE ENVELOPED IN THIS DUST AND GAS
THAT WOULD EXTEND FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS INSIDE THE NUCLEUS.
WE ONLY SEE THE MATERIAL THAT IS STRIPPED AWAY FROM THE SURFACE.
HUMANKIND HAS BEEN FASCINATED BY COMETS FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS,
BECAUSE NOBODY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE,
AND ALTHOUGH THE MYSTERY
IS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS THEN,
THERE ARE STILL MYSTERIES
BECAUSE THE COMETS ARE SO HARD TO STUDY.
Narrator: THE "DEEP IMPACT" PAYLOAD
MUST BE BALANCED DEAD IN THE MIDDLE
OF A DELTA II ROCKET.
A MILLIMETER OFF-CENTER WILL ENDANGER THE ENTIRE EXPERIMENT
AT THE MOST CRUCIAL POINT IN SPACE.
DURING THE FIRST YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT,
ENGINEERS WRESTLE WITH THE ISSUE OF PAYLOAD SEPARATION.
IT'S VITAL THAT THE IMPACTOR PROJECTILE
PART SMOOTHLY FROM THE SPACECRAFT
BEFORE HITTING THE COMET.
THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'LL CREATE A PROBLEM DURING SEPARATION.
COULD BE CHALLENGING
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS BALANCED PERFECTLY.
THE DESIGN ISSUES NOW SHIFT
FROM SPACECRAFT BALANCE TO CONCERNS ABOUT POWER.
COMETS ARE DRIVEN BY GRAVITATIONAL FORCES.
BUT "DEEP IMPACT" MUST RELY ON THE POWER OF THE SUN.
WE ONLY HAVE 2,400 POUNDS TO WORK WITH.
THAT'S ALL THAT THE LAUNCH FIELD CAN LIFT.
Narrator: WHEN IT COMES TO SOLAR ENERGY, SIZE MATTERS.
THE ENGINEERS MUST DESIGN THE LARGEST,
MOST EFFICIENT PHOTOELECTRIC PANELS
WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE DESIGN OF THE SPACECRAFT.
THE PROBLEM IS, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH POWER.
THAT SOLAR RAY HAS TO BE BIGGER,
AND WE'VE TAKEN UP THE FAIRING ENVELOPE.
WE GO BACK TO OUR BASELINE CONCEPT
OF THE SINGLE SOLAR PANEL HERE.
THAT WOULD GET US THE SOLAR-RAY AIR WE NEED.
Narrator: A SINGLE PANEL COULD THROW "DEEP IMPACT" OFF-KILTER.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN SYMMETRY.
OKAY, SO WE WANT TO KEEP EVERYTHING CENTERED ABOVE THE --
YES.
WE HAVE BIFOLD-DOOR OPTION,
WHERE THE PANELS THEN FOLD OUTWARD.
THE THING THERE IS YOU WON'T GET ANY POWER
UNTIL THOSE ARRAYS DEPLOY.
WHAT IF WE TAKE THE SAME GENERAL SPACECRAFT,
AND WE TURN IT SIDEWAYS LIKE THIS,
AND THAT WAY WE CAN JUST HAVE TWO SOLAR-RAY PANELS...
LIKE THIS.
Narrator: THE FINAL CONFIGURATION IS AN ELEGANT COMPROMISE.
TWIN PANELS ON A SINGLE HINGE WILL PROVIDE THE REQUIRED POWER.
EVERY LITTLE PIECE OF THIS SPACECRAFT
GETS THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL AND THAT TYPE OF CONSIDERATION.
SO IT'S HUNDREDS OF TRADES THAT YOU GO THROUGH
BEFORE YOU COME UP WITH WHAT YOU ULTIMATELY SEND OFF INTO SPACE.
Narrator: THE GIVE-AND-TAKE OF DEDICATED ENGINEERS
PRODUCES A SPACECRAFT LIKE NO OTHER.
"DEEP IMPACT" CARRIES AN IMPACTOR,
TWO TELESCOPES, AN OVERSIZED SOLAR ARRAY,
AND A POWERFUL ANTENNA TO RELAY DATA ON THE COMET COLLISION
BACK TO EARTH.
THE SCALE MODEL OF "DEEP IMPACT"
EMBODIES TWO YEARS OF LOST WEEKENDS
AND TIRELESS ENGINEERING.
Marriott: CRITICAL DESIGN REVIEW IS OVER,
AND WE WENT FROM PAPER TO MODEL.
Narrator: BUT THREE MORE YEARS OF CRUCIAL WORK AWAIT THE TEAM.
NOW ALL WE GOT TO DO IS BUILD THE REAL THING.
Narrator: IN 2002, ENGINEERS TAKE OVER A WORK SPACE
THE SIZE OF A FOOTBALL FIELD.
IN A MATTER OF MONTHS,
IT'S TRANSFORMED INTO A VAST CLEAN ROOM
FOR THE ASSEMBLY OF THE "DEEP IMPACT" PAYLOAD.
THE OPERATIVE WORD HERE IS "SPOTLESS."
A SPECK OF DUST COULD DISRUPT A CIRCUIT BOARD.
A FLAKE OF SKIN COULD DAMAGE AN OPTICAL COMPONENT.
AND A SINGLE HUMAN HAIR COULD SABOTAGE THE ENTIRE MISSION.
MORE THAN 100,000 PARTS WILL GO INTO THE SPACECRAFT.
ONE FAULTY COMPONENT COULD TURN "DEEP IMPACT"
INTO AN EXPENSIVE PIECE OF SPACE JUNK.
SO EACH ELEMENT IS CHECKED AND RECHECKED
DOWN TO THE TORQUE ON EVERY BOLT.
THERE ARE A MILLION WAYS THAT YOU CAN SCREW UP,
AND WE'VE PROBABLY THOUGHT OF 999,000 OF THEM.
Narrator: THE ONLY WAY TO FIND WEAK POINTS IN THE SPACECRAFT
IS TO TEST AND TORTURE EVERY PART.
Man: YOU GOT IT. THAT'S PERFECT.
Narrator: THE GUTS OF "DEEP IMPACT" ARE FROZEN
TO REPRODUCE THE TEMPERATURES OF SPACE.
COMPONENTS ARE SHAKEN AND SPUN TO SIMULATE A LAUNCH.
SIX MONTHS INTO A THREE-YEAR ASSEMBLY,
THE TEAM DISCOVERS A SERIOUS FLAW.
THE TELESCOPE THAT WILL IMAGE THE IMPACT
HAS A CRACK IN ITS MAIN MIRROR.
Man: THIS IS THE HRI PRIMARY...
Hampton: DURING TESTING,
WE HAD ONE OF THE MOUNTS ON THE PRIMARY MIRROR
ON THE HRI -- THE HIGH-RESOLUTION TELESCOPE --
CRACK ON US.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT. THAT MIGHT GO AGAIN.
Narrator: IN SPACE, THE TELESCOPE MIRRORS
MUST REMAIN PRECISELY ALIGNED.
A DEVIATION BEYOND 1/1,000 OF AN INCH
MIGHT AS WELL BE A MILE.
Henderson: IF WE HAVE THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IN THE MISSION,
THEN WE LOSE ALL OF OUR SCIENCE
AND OUR PRIMARY HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGERY.
SO WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO GET THIS RESOLVED,
OR ELSE WE DON'T FLY THE MISSION.
Narrator: AS PART OF THE TEAM TACKLES THE OPTICAL CRISIS,
OTHER ENGINEERS CONFRONT A MAJOR THREAT
THAT AWAITS THEIR BRAINCHILD IN DEEP SPACE...
...THE TARGET ITSELF.
COMET DEBRIS PACKS AN INCREDIBLE PUNCH,
NO MATTER WHAT THE SIZE.
A SINGLE CHUNK OF THE SHOEMAKER-LEVY COMET
HIT JUPITER WITH A FORCE OF 6 MILLION MEGATONS OF TNT.
"DEEP IMPACT" WOULD BE DESTROYED
BY JUST A FEW BULLET-SIZED PARTICLES
FROM COMET TEMPEL'S TAIL.
THE SPACECRAFT MUST BE READY TO TAKE A HIT.
SO ENGINEERS HEAD FOR THE "IMPACT" TEST FACILITY
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER --
HOME TO ONE OF THE FASTEST GUNS IN THE WEST.
[ GUNSHOT ]
THE BULLETS FIRED FROM THIS BARREL
REPLICATE COMET DEBRIS TRAVELING AT LETHAL SPEEDS.
A GRAIN OF SAND MOVING AT 10 KILOMETERS PER SECOND --
IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE MUCH,
BUT IT'S GOT A LOT OF EXPLOSIVE ENERGY,
AS MUCH AS A HAND GRENADE.
Narrator: THIS BULLET IS A STAND-IN FOR A COMET PARTICLE
TRAVELING AT 15,000 MILES PER HOUR.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO RUN THIS AT?
950 PSI.
16,000 PSI...
Narrator: THE TARGET -- AN UNORTHODOX SPACE SHIELD
DESIGNED BY ENGINEER JOEL WILLIAMSEN.
WILLIAMSEN'S SHIELD IS BUILT OF THIN METAL PLATES
DESIGNED TO ABSORB THE DESTRUCTIVE ENERGY
OF COMET DEBRIS.
WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS THAT THESE LAYERS OF COPPER
WILL STOP THE PARTICLE
AS IT EXPANDS THROUGH THESE LAYERS
AND STOP IT FROM HITTING THAT VITAL EQUIPMENT
THAT'S ON THE INTERIOR HERE OF THE SPACECRAFT.
SO ARE YOU READY TO LOAD?
Man: SURE. OKAY.
EVERYONE EVACUATE THE BUILDING.
WE'RE GOING TO UNSHUNT THE FIRING LINE...
AND EVACUATE.
Narrator: THE INSTITUTE HAS OVER 150 POWERFUL GUNS,
BUT THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME
ONE IS USED TO TEST A COMET-PROOF VEST.
FIVE, FOUR, THREE,
TWO, ONE, ZERO.
MAKE SURE THE RED LIGHT GOES OUT.
Man: LOOKS GOOD, OKAY.
Narrator: SLOW-MOTION CAMERAS CAPTURE THE IMPACT.
IF THAT REAR WALL IS DOING ITS JOB,
THE DEBRIS CLOUD WILL BE STOPPED,
AND THE MATERIAL THAT'S ON THE INSIDE WILL BE PROTECTED.
IF IT'S NOT DOING ITS JOB,
IT WILL RIP RIGHT THROUGH THE REAR SHIELD,
AND WE'LL LOSE EVERYTHING THAT'S ON THE INTERIOR.
Narrator: THE SUCCESS OF "DEEP IMPACT"
NOW RIDES ON A COPPER LAYER CAKE.
ALL RIGHT!
WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE WE GOT SOME PISTON DAMAGE HERE.
GOT A BIG HOLE IN THE FRONT AND NO HOLE IN THE BACK.
LOOKS GOOD.
WHAT I'M SEEING HERE
IS THAT THE PARTICLE WENT IN THE AREA HERE.
WE EXPANDED.
LOOK AT HOW LARGE SOME OF THESE CRATERS GOT,
LARGER AND LARGER AND LARGER,
AS WE WENT THROUGH EACH OF THESE LAYERS,
AND THEN FINALLY, WHEN WE GOT TO THE END, IT STOPPED IT.
THIS IS GOING TO TAKE IT RIGHT ON THE CHIN,
AND IT'S GONNA KEEP RIGHT ON GOING.
IT WON'T EVEN BLINK IF IT GETS A PARTICLE THIS SIZE.
IT'S BIGGER THAN WHAT WE THOUGHT WE COULD HANDLE.
Narrator: BUT THE REAL TEST WILL COME FAR FROM COLORADO,
WHEN A COMET AND A SPACECRAFT MEET
IN THE COLD VOID OF SPACE.
Narrator: FEW SPACE MISSIONS RIVAL THE DARING AND PRECISION
OF NASA's "DEEP IMPACT."
ONCE RELEASED, THE IMPACTOR WILL NAVIGATE BY THE STARS
TO LOCATE ITS TARGET.
A CAMERA ZEROES IN ON THE COMET.
AND COMPUTERS SELECT A SPOT THAT'S EVENLY LIT.
GOOD LIGHT EXPOSURE WILL PERMIT SENSORS ON THE MOTHER SHIP
TO RECORD THE BEST-QUALITY DATA FROM THE BLAST DEBRIS.
THE IMPACTOR NOW MAKES A FINAL COURSE ADJUSTMENT
ON ITS SUICIDE RUN.
AS IT MOVES DIRECTLY INTO THE COMET'S PATH,
THE PROBE HAS ONLY NINE MINUTES TO LIVE.
A'Hearn: WE HAVE ONLY ONE CHANCE.
IT'S ALL OR NOTHING ON THE FIRST TRY.
10 KILOMETERS PER SECOND,
YOU'RE MOVING MUCH TOO FAST
TO STOP AND GET BACK IN FRONT OF THE COMET AGAIN.
Narrator: MAY OF 2004 -- EIGHT MONTHS TO LAUNCH.
THE MOTHER SHIP IS NEARLY COMPLETED.
BUT ENGINEERS ARE STILL BROODING OVER THE IMPACTOR.
ALICE PHINNEY LEADS THE IMPACTOR DESIGN TEAM.
NORMALLY HER GROUP SELECTS THE BUILDING MATERIALS
FOR THE SPACECRAFT,
BUT THIS TIME, THEY'VE BEEN OVERRULED.
OUR FAVORITE MATERIAL
IS REALLY ALUMINUM OR A GRAPHITE COMPOSITE.
THESE ARE THE STRONGEST AND THE LIGHTEST THINGS YOU CAN USE.
THAT WAS THE ABSOLUTE MATERIAL
THAT THE SCIENTISTS DIDN'T WANT US TO USE.
THEY WANTED US TO USE COPPER.
NO ONE HAS EVER BUILT A SPACECRAFT OUT OF COPPER.
Narrator: WHEN THE IMPACTOR HITS THE COMET, IT WILL VAPORIZE,
AND IT'S VITAL TO AVOID ANY CONFUSION
ABOUT THE MATERIALS EJECTED FROM THE CRATER.
SOME ELEMENTS IN MAN-MADE METALS OCCUR NATURALLY IN SPACE.
BUT COPPER ISN'T ONE OF THEM,
MAKING IT THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR "DEEP IMPACT"'S PROBE.
YEAH, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO DECIDE
HOW BIG THIS IS GONNA BE.
THE NEXT CHALLENGE IS CHOOSING
THE MOST EFFICIENT IMPACTOR SHAPE.
LET'S SEE IF I CAN TAKE THE IMPACTOR OUT HERE.
YOU SEE HOW IT'S NESTED UP INSIDE THE FLY-BY?
THE SCIENTISTS DEMAND A SPHERE FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT.
THE ENGINEERS WANT A PLATFORM FOR THEIR INSTRUMENTS.
PHINNEY'S TEAM EXPLORES AND REJECTS DOZENS OF SHAPES
UNTIL THE FINAL DESIGN EMERGES FROM THE SKETCHPAD.
THE BUSINESS END OF THE IMPACTOR WILL BE MADE OF COPPER SHEETS,
LAYERED WITH AIR POCKETS TO CUT DOWN ON WEIGHT.
THE MODULE IS SHAPED LIKE A MUFFIN,
WEIGHS IN AT 820 POUNDS,
PACKS A PUNCH EQUAL TO 4 1/2 TONS OF TNT,
AND IS BORN TO DIE.
Phinney: THE IMPACTOR IS DESIGNED
TO OPERATE FOR 24 HOURS AND THEN GET VAPORIZED,
SO IT'S NOT LIKE I CAN HAVE THIS SENSE OF LOVE FOR IT
LIKE IT'S MY BABY.
ITS WHOLE MISSION IS TO GO AND BE OBLITERATED.
Narrator: THE FINAL CHALLENGE
IS FLYING THE IMPACTOR INTO A COMET --
A TASK FAR BEYOND THE LIMITS OF HUMAN HAND-EYE COORDINATION.
Melosh: IF YOU WERE, SAY, A FIGHTER PILOT
ON THE "DEEP IMPACT" SPACECRAFT AND YOU HAD TO RAM THIS COMET,
YOUR HUMAN REACTIONS PROBABLY COULDN'T DO IT.
YOU'RE FLYING 100 TIMES FASTER THAN A RIFLE BULLET.
THE COMET GOES FROM BEING A POINT
YOU CAN BARELY RESOLVE WITH YOUR EYE
INTO FILLING THE SCREEN IN A MATTER OF SECONDS,
AND YOU JUST COULDN'T HIT IT YOURSELF.
Narrator: PROGRAM MANAGER JOHN MARRIOTT
REVIEWS EVERY DETAIL OF THE IMPACTOR AND SPACECRAFT.
WHILE HIS TRUST IN THE TEAM IS SOLID,
HIS CONFIDENCE IN THE COMET IS LOW.
I WORRY ABOUT NOT JUST THAT THE COMET'S COMING CLOSER,
I WORRY ABOUT, "IS THE COMET TUMBLING?
IS IT ROTATING FASTER OR SLOWER THAN WE'VE EXPECTED IT TO DO?"
I MEAN, THERE ARE SO MANY UNKNOWNS.
I NEVER WANT TO FLY A FAILURE.
Narrator: KEEPING THE SPACECRAFT STABLE
IS CRITICAL TO MISSION SUCCESS,
BUT JUST MONTHS BEFORE LAUNCH, MARRIOTT LEARNS
THAT "DEEP IMPACT"'S GYROSCOPES MAY BE DEFECTIVE.
WE GOT SOME INFORMATION ON THE WELDS I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT.
HAIRLINE CRACKS WERE DISCOVERED ON A SET OF GYROSCOPES
IDENTICAL TO THOSE ALREADY EMBEDDED
IN THE "DEEP IMPACT" SPACECRAFT.
THIS ONE HAS THE GOOD WELD DEPTH ON IT,
AND THIS IS THE WELD DEPTHS THAT WE HAVE ON OURS.
Marriott: A CATASTROPHIC CRACK OF THE WELD
IS OF GREAT CONCERN FOR US.
WE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE'VE ANALYZED IT
AND REALLY UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE RAMIFICATIONS ARE AND RISKS TO THE PROGRAM.
SO WE NEED TO BRING IN SOME OTHER EXPERTS
TO HELP US OUT WITH THIS ONE.
Narrator: GYROSCOPES HOLD THE SPACECRAFT ON A STEADY COURSE
AND ALLOW THE STABILITY
NECESSARY FOR CELESTIAL NAVIGATION.
THE GUIDANCE SYSTEM USES OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS
TO COMPARE THE SPACECRAFT'S POSITION
WITH THE LOCATION OF KNOWN STARS.
GYROSCOPES USE THE PHYSICS OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE
TO KEEP THE SPACECRAFT AND IMPACTOR ON TARGET --
A SINGLE FLAW AND "DEEP IMPACT" COULD BE FLYING BLIND.
Henderson: WE'VE GOT TO SEE THE IMPACT
OF THE IMPACTOR INTO THE COMET
TO 1/3,600 OF A DEGREE ACCURACY
WITH OUR TELESCOPES.
SO THE POINTING REQUIREMENT IN THAT DIRECTION
IS INCREDIBLY PRECISE.
THE POINTING REQUIREMENT BACK TO THE GROUND
FOR TELEMETRYING THE DATA BACK OVER 80 MILLION MILES
IS WITHIN 1/4 OF A DEGREE.
Narrator: MARRIOTT DELIVERS THE BAD NEWS TO THE TEAM.
A FAULTY WELD IN A GYRO COULD TURN THEIR DREAM SHIP
INTO A DEEP-SPACE NIGHTMARE.
FRANKLY, I'VE TAKEN A PRETTY FIRM POSITION.
I'M NOT THAT COMFORTABLE.
IF IT IS NOT CATASTROPHIC, WHAT IS IT?
THIS, THIS IS --
JUST A MINOR PROBLEM?
THE PROBLEM IS, TO GET TO THESE GYROS,
I GOT TO COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLE THE ENTIRE BOX.
TO COMPLICATE MATTERS EVEN FURTHER,
WE DON'T HAVE A VERY GOOD PROCESS
OTHER THAN DESTRUCTIVE TESTING.
WITH LAUNCH IMMINENT, THERE'S NO TIME TO REPLACE THE GYROS,
AND THE TEAM KNOWS IT WILL TAKE ANOTHER FIVE YEARS
BEFORE TEMPEL COMES ALONG AGAIN.
Henderson: THE COMET WON'T WAIT.
THAT'S THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND EVERYTHING WE DO
IS WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING
THAT COULD DELAY THE LAUNCH OF THIS MISSION.
Narrator: THE INTENSE VIBRATIONS OF LIFTOFF
POSE THE GREATEST DANGER TO THE GYRO WELDS.
SO A CRISIS TEAM MUST NOW FIND A WAY TO MINIMIZE THE THREAT.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE GYROS,
YOU GUYS WOULD FIGURE OUT A WAY
TO HIT THIS COMET.
IF YOU WERE UP THERE AND SOMETHING HAPPENED,
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Narrator: THE TEAM COMES UP WITH AN ENGINEERING BAND-AID...
...A PLATFORM WITH SHOCK ABSORBERS
TO MINIMIZE STRESS IN THE GYRO WELDS.
BUT IF IT DOESN'T WORK,
"DEEP IMPACT" WILL BE LITTLE MORE
THAN A $330 MILLION SHOT IN THE DARK.
THE COUNTDOWN TO "DEEP IMPACT" LAUNCH
IS RUNNING OUT
AS THE TEAM COPES WITH DEFECTS IN TWO COMPONENTS.
A CRACKED MIRROR MAY COMPROMISE
ONE OF THE SPACECRAFT'S TELESCOPES.
AND A FAULTY WELD COULD SEND "DEEP IMPACT" OFF COURSE.
THE TEAM TAKES COUNTERMEASURES TO MINIMIZE THE PROBLEMS.
MEANWHILE, BALL AEROSPACE ENGINEER LORNA HESS-FRY
SUPERVISES THE MOST CRITICAL PHASE OF ASSEMBLY,
JOINING THE IMPACTOR TO THE MAIN SPACECRAFT.
Hess-Fry: FIRST SPACECRAFT I'VE TAKEN
FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE, WE SAY,
AND SO MY TEAM'S SUCCESS IS RESTING A LOT ON THIS,
'CAUSE IF WE DON'T SEPARATE, WE DON'T HIT THE COMET.
Narrator: ANY FRICTION BETWEEN THE TWO MODULES
AT THE SEPARATION POINT
COULD THROW OFF THE IMPACTOR'S TRAJECTORY
FOR COLLISION WITH THE COMET.
WITH TWO DEFECTS ALREADY THREATENING THE MISSION,
JOE GALLONBACK IS DRIVEN TO CHECK AND RECHECK
EVERY DETAIL OF THE FINAL ASSEMBLY.
Gallonback: IF SOMETHING'S WRONG AND WE DON'T CATCH IT,
IT DOESN'T GET CAUGHT,
AND GOD FORBID WE DO MISS SOMETHING
AND IT GOES UP AND WE HAVE A DISASTER.
Narrator: AS ENGINEERS PREPARE TO COMPLETE THE ASSEMBLY,
YEARS OF HARD WORK AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
LITERALLY HANG BY THE HOOK OF A SPECIAL CRANE.
OBVIOUSLY, IF ANYBODY SEES ANYTHING THAT WE'RE MISSING,
SAY STOP.
ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM CAN SAY STOP.
LET'S DO IT.
EVERYTHING OKAY OVER HERE? LET ME TAKE A PEEK UP TOP.
IT LOOKS GOOD RIGHT NOW. PLENTY OF ROOM.
Henderson: WE'RE VERIFYING THAT ALL OF THE CLEARANCES ARE PRISTINE.
WHEN THE IMPACTOR IS RELEASED,
WE DON'T WANT ANY SORT OF FRICTION TO COCK IT OFF.
SO THIS MEETING INTERFACE HAS TO BE EXACTLY RIGHT.
Narrator: THE HIGH-TECH SPACE CRANE
NOW LOWERS THE SPACECRAFT CENTIMETER BY CENTIMETER.
Man: OKAY, IS EVERYBODY READY?
READY.
BRING IT DOWN.
WHAT ARE YOU ON YOUR FRONT ONE?
100. OKAY, LET'S STOP.
OKAY.
WE'RE GOOD RIGHT THERE, GUYS.
Narrator: FIVE YEARS
OF EXACTING DESIGN AND ENGINEERING PAY OFF
AS THE SPACECRAFT SETTLES PERFECTLY.
IF SUPERMAN WERE AN ENGINEER,
HE'D DESIGN A SPACECRAFT LIKE THIS ONE.
"DEEP IMPACT" CAN OVERTAKE AN OBJECT
MOVING FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET.
IT'S CERTAINLY MORE POWERFUL THAN A SPEEDING LOCOMOTIVE
AND MAY SOON LEAP INTO HISTORY WITH A SINGLE BOUND.
[ MAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY OVER RADIO ]
THE COUNTDOWN TO LAUNCH ENDS JANUARY 12, 2005.
"DEEP IMPACT" NOW BELONGS TO THE LAUNCH TEAM.
AFTER YEARS OF HANDS-ON EFFORT,
MANAGERS JOHN MARRIOTT AND MONTE HENDERSON
CAN DO LITTLE MORE THAN CROSS THEIR FINGERS
AND SAVOR THE MOMENT.
Marriott: THIS IS THE AMAZING TIME.
I MEAN, IT'S HARD TO DESCRIBE.
YOU JUST STAND HERE, AND YOU JUST ADMIRE.
OH, IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE EFFORT.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PERSONAL SACRIFICE
ON ESSENTIALLY THE WHOLE TEAM
TO GET US TO WHERE WE'RE LITERALLY SITTING
ON TOP OF THE ROCKET, READY TO GO TODAY.
IT'S JUST AN UNBELIEVABLE FEELING.
Woman: T-minus 20 minutes and holding.
[ Speaking indistinctly ]
Narrator: "DEEP IMPACT" MUST LIFT OFF TODAY
AT A SINGLE PREDETERMINED SECOND,
OR THE ENTIRE LAUNCH WILL BE PUSHED BACK.
[ MAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY OVER RADIO ]
ACCORDING TO NASA,
ABOUT ONE ROCKET IN 20 FAILS AT LAUNCH.
LOOKING FOR YOUR READINESS TO PROCEED WITH THE COUNT.
Man: NITROGEN RING, LOCKUP PRESSURE IS GO.
Narrator: WITH LUCK,
"DEEP IMPACT" WILL BEAT THE ODDS.
Henderson: TO LEAVE EARTH AT THE EXACT SECOND
TO ENCOUNTER 80 MILLION MILES AWAY A COMET,
THE PRECISION AND THE CALCULATIONS THERE
HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE.
WE HAVE INSTANTANEOUS LAUNCH WINDOWS.
WE CAN'T DELAY.
WE EITHER GO ON THAT SECOND, OR WE DON'T GO.
Woman: T-minus 20.
Everything is go for the launch of "Deep Impact."
T-minus 15.
10, 9, 8,
7, 6, 5,
4, 3,
2, 1...
we have ignition.
Liftoff of a Delta II rocket carrying "Deep Impact."
Narrator: A JOURNEY THAT BEGAN AS A DARING IDEA
JUST FIVE YEARS AGO
MAY SOON UNLOCK THE TIMELESS MYSTERIES OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
Man: Roger that, I did. Great news.
Man #2: Coming up on T-plus 36 seconds.
We are now supersonic.
Narrator: "DEEP IMPACT"'S JOURNEY IS ONLY SECONDS OLD
WHEN FLIGHT ENGINEERS TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE SPACECRAFT.
A PREDETERMINED SIGNAL
WILL VERIFY THE PAYLOAD HAS DETACHED FROM ITS ROCKET,
AND ALL SYSTEMS ARE GO.
"DEEP IMPACT" WILL TUMBLE AFTER LIFT-OFF
UNTIL THE GYROSCOPES KICK IN.
THE NEXT CRUCIAL STEP IS DEPLOYMENT OF THE SOLAR PANELS.
BOTH PHASES MUST GO OFF LIKE CLOCKWORK.
Henderson: AT T-MINUS TWO MINUTES, WE GO TO INTERNAL POWER.
AND THE BATTERY WILL KEEP US POWERED
FOR 45, 48 MINUTES LONG.
WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT THE BATTERY TO EXPIRE
BEFORE WE'RE POINTED WITH THE SOLAR RAYS ON THE SUN.
Narrator: FLIGHT ENGINEERS WILL KNOW IF THE PANELS HAVE DEPLOYED
WHEN THE SPACECRAFT TRANSMITS A STRONG CONFIRMATION SIGNAL.
I DON'T HAVE IT.
BUT WHEN THE SIGNAL FINALLY ARRIVES,
IT'S WEAK AND INTERMITTENT.
IT DROPPED OUT AGAIN.
OUT AGAIN.
Man: WHEN YOU GO OUT OF LOCK,
THE SPACECRAFT ANTENNAS COULD BE NOT POINTING CORRECTLY.
IT COULD BE A SIGN THAT YOUR ATTITUDE ISN'T STABLE.
THE MOST LIKELY REASON FOR A LOSS OF STABILIZATION
IS A FAILURE IN THE GYROSCOPE WELDS.
IF SO, THE TEAM'S WORST FEARS MAY HAVE COME TRUE.
"DEEP IMPACT"'S BATTERIES WILL RUN OUT IN SEVEN MINUTES.
AT THAT POINT, THE MISSION WILL FAIL
UNLESS THE SOLAR PANELS DEPLOY.
Man: 58 MINUTES ELAPSED SINCE LAUNCH.
WE CAN GO 65 MINUTES WITHOUT HAVING DIRECT SOLAR-RAY POWER.
Man #2: HOW MUCH TIME HAS ELAPSED?
Man #3: 58 MINUTES ELAPSED SINCE LAUNCH.
Man: SYMBOL LOCK.
YOU GOT SYMBOL LOCK?
Narrator: FINALLY A STRONG AND STEADY SIGNAL IS RECEIVED.
IN LOCK. GOT IT.
THE PANELS DEPLOY.
"DEEP IMPACT" HAS THE POWER TO REACH FOR THE COMET TEMPEL,
BUT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE THE TRIUMPH AWAITING THE TEAM
6 MONTHS AND 83 MILLION MILES AWAY.
AFTER SIX MONTHS OF DEMANDING SPACE FLIGHT,
THE JOURNEY OF "DEEP IMPACT" ENTERS THE FINAL HOURS.
A SMALL ARMY OF ENGINEERS TRACK THE SPACECRAFT
FROM A CONTROL ROOM AT THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
IN PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.
WAITING NEARBY, LIKE EXPECTANT PARENTS,
ARE "DEEP IMPACT"'S CREATORS.
Melosh: I'M EXCITED, AND I'M APPREHENSIVE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE ALL HAVE OUR DIFFERENT FAVORITE SCENARIOS
AND OUR OWN DIFFERENT PICTURES OF WHAT COULD GO WRONG.
THIS IS KIND OF LIKE THE WORK-UP TO THE SUPER BOWL.
AND WE'RE JUST GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER AND CLOSER.
WE'RE SEEING THE COMET.
WE'RE SEEING THE COMA, THE COLORS,
THE COMPOSITIONS.
KICKOFF TIME IS GETTING CLOSE.
Henderson: LET'S REMEMBER THE SPEEDS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
THE COMET IS COMING AT US AT 66,000 MILES AN HOUR.
WE'VE GOT A CLOSING SPEED HERE OF 23,000 MILES AN HOUR.
THE SPEEDS ARE STILL JUST MIND-BOGGLING
HOW FAST THIS IS MOVING.
Narrator: 30 HOURS FROM IMPACT, THE SPACECRAFT MANEUVERS
DIRECTLY INTO THE PATH OF COMET TEMPEL 1.
HOURS LATER, THE IMPACTOR SHOULD SEPARATE
AND BEGIN RUNNING ON BATTERY POWER.
20 MINUTES AFTER THAT,
ENGINEERS ARE EXPECTING A SPECIAL SIGNAL
FROM THE SPACECRAFT TO CONFIRM THE IMPACTOR IS FREE AND CLEAR.
Woman: CONFIRMING, BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A SMALL ISSUE.
Narrator: 5, 10, 20 SECONDS PASS,
AND NOTHING COMES.
Man: Mission impactor flight,
all impactor spacecraft subsystems green at this time.
Narrator: SUDDENLY, "DEEP IMPACT" COMES THROUGH
WITH UNMISTAKABLE CONFIRMATION.
THE IMPACTOR IS HEADED TOWARDS THE COLLISION POINT.
Henderson: FORTUNATELY IT WAS A 30-SECOND DELAY.
EVERYTHING CAME BACK UP.
BOTH SUBSYSTEMS WERE REPORTING NOMINALLY AND SEPARATED.
WE WERE ALL JUST KIND OF LOOKING AT EACH OTHER --
"IT CAN'T BE GOING THIS SMOOTHLY."
IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE NOW
THAT WE ARE TWO SEPARATE SPACECRAFT FLYING INDEPENDENTLY.
Narrator: THE MAIN SPACECRAFT FIRES ITS THRUSTERS
TO POSITION ITSELF TO IMAGE THE IMPACT FROM 300 MILES AWAY.
MEANWHILE, THE IMPACTOR MAKES A FINAL COURSE CORRECTION
FOR COLLISION,
AS COMET TEMPEL CLOSES IN AT 66,000 MILES PER HOUR.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED
AS A SMASHING SUCCESS.
[ INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER ]
Man: Team, we got a confirmation.
[ CHEERING ]
Narrator: AT 1:52 A.M. EASTERN TIME
ON THE FOURTH OF JULY,
A JOURNEY TO THE DAWN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
ENDS 83 MILLION MILES FROM EARTH.
SECONDS BEFORE THE COLLISION,
IMAGES FROM THE IMPACTOR REVEAL A LUNAR-LIKE SURFACE
WITH CRATERS A MILE ACROSS.
THE SPECTACULAR IMPACT
IS RECORDED BY CAMERAS ABOARD THE MOTHER SHIP.
YOU'VE GOT IMAGES OF THING
THAT BLOW OUR MINDS AWAY.
Schultz: WHEN WE FIRST SAW THOSE IMAGES,
IT WAS JUST PURE, ECSTATIC JOY.
I HAVEN'T HAD SUCH AN ADRENALINE RUSH SINCE MY FIRST DATE.
[ LAUGHING ]
WELL, WAS IT AWESOME?
[ APPLAUSE ]
I'M WONDERING NOW, THERE IS A COMET UP IN THE SKY
WONDERING WHAT IN THE HECK HIT IT.
Henderson: WE COULDN'T HAVE WRITTEN A SCRIPT ANY BETTER
THAN IN THE LAST 30 HOURS.
IT'S JUST --
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE HOW WELL IT WENT.
[ BEETHOVEN'S "MOONLIGHT SONATA" PLAYS ]
WE SMASHED INTO A COMET THAT WAS LIKE THIS COMMUNAL,
THIS GLOBAL COMMUNE.
WE'RE CONNECTING AND TALKING TO PEOPLE.
COUNTRIES DISAPPEARED. COUNTRY BOUNDARIES DISAPPEARED.
OCEANS DISAPPEARED,
BECAUSE WE WERE JUST GOING ACROSS EVERYWHERE,
GETTING THIS FEEDBACK.
Narrator: THE LAST IMAGE OM TFR IMPACTOR
WAS TAKEN JUST 3.7 SECONDS BEFORE COLLISION,
BUT INSTRUMENTS ABOARD THE SURVIVING SPACECRAFT
CONTINUE TO RECORD ENOUGH DATA
TO KEEP SCIENTISTS OCCUPIED FOR YEARS.
I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO A WEALTH OF DATA
THAT WILL TAKE ME TO RETIREMENT.
AND IT WAS A BIG SACRIFICE FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED,
BUT THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY
FOR ANY OF US IN OUR CAREER TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS AGAIN.
YES, IT WAS WORTH IT.
IT'S JUST UNBELIEVABLE HOW WELL IT WENT...
[ SNIFFLES ]
...AND HOW MUCH GRAY HAIR I HAVE SINCE I STARTED.
Narrator: A SINGLE COLLISION IN DEEP SPACE
HAS OPENED A NEW PATHWAY
TO UNDERSTANDING THE BIRTH OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
AND OUR PLACE IN THE COSMOS.
Schultz: IT'S JUST CURIOUS -- THE STUFF WE'RE MADE OUT OF.
STUFF CAME IN FROM OUTER SPACE,
CAME IN FROM THE EARLY SOLAR SYSTEM --
WATER, ORGANIC -- SLAMMING INTO EARTH 4 BILLION YEARS AGO.
IT'S ALL THOSE COMPONENTS THAT MAKE US UP.
WE ARE MOSTLY WATER. WE ARE MOSTLY COMETS.
Narrator: THE DATA GENERATED BY THIS EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIMENT
MAY ALSO SAVE COUNTLESS LIVES FROM A CATACLYSM AWAITING US
IN THE FUTURE --
AN EARTH-COMET COLLISION
WE MUST LEARN TO AVOID IN ORDER TO SURVIVE.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com