November 4th, 2010
11:40 AM ET

Spacecraft has closest encounter ever with comet

A spacecraft survived the closest encounter ever with a comet on Thursday, tracking it just 435 miles from the comet's nucleus.

Mission control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, broadcast live coverage of the event on NASA Television's Media Channel.

The agency's EPOXI spacecraft is expected to acquire data with two imagers and an infrared instrument of a comet named Hartley 2 as it traveled at speeds of more than 27,000 miles per hour.

Scientists are still working to determine if there was any damage to the spacecraft as the comet passed by.

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soundoff (12 Responses)
  1. travis fisher

    It must be close to earth adios amigos

    November 4, 2010 at 12:19 pm | Report abuse |
  2. dictionary

    The greatest beauty ever known are the two lovers who have realized that they cannot be together and spend eternity gazing toward one another in longing and respect without ever touching.
    Let it rain.

    November 4, 2010 at 12:43 pm | Report abuse |
  3. McLovin

    OMG! Two idiots with nothing better to do.

    November 4, 2010 at 12:57 pm | Report abuse |
  4. McLovin

    hey, i can see uranis from here! I bet sarah palin can see it from her house too!

    November 4, 2010 at 2:20 pm | Report abuse |
  5. dictionary

    Then sit around the house and get high and watch the tube...
    Go on take the money and run... oooooh lord.

    November 4, 2010 at 2:25 pm | Report abuse |
  6. McLovin

    thats the one, good ole rock n roll, nice catch.

    November 4, 2010 at 3:01 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Wild Hurricane

    Great scientific work.

    November 4, 2010 at 3:31 pm | Report abuse |
  8. dictionary

    Angie... Rolling Stones
    Maggie May... Rod Stew-art

    November 4, 2010 at 3:44 pm | Report abuse |
  9. kim

    Hum very interesting.

    November 4, 2010 at 6:42 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Michelle

    Michelle – The
    Beatles
    Beth – Kiss
    Rosanna – Toto
    Roxanne – The Police
    Melody Lee – The Damned

    November 4, 2010 at 11:11 pm | Report abuse |
  11. dictionary

    Michelle, ma bell....

    November 5, 2010 at 7:20 am | Report abuse |
  12. dictionary

    Two words that go together well

    November 5, 2010 at 7:22 am | Report abuse |
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