{}              {HASH(0x81f4990)

{author}        National Aeronautics and Space Administration

{date}          29-Dec-2004

{description}   KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At Astrotech Space Operations in
                Titusville, Fla., Boeing technicians oversee the final movement
                of the Deep Impact spacecraft being lowered onto the Delta II
                third stage for mating. When the spacecraft and third stage are
                mated, they will be moved to Launch Pad 17-B at Cape Canaveral
                Air Force Station, Fla. There they will be mated to the Delta II
                rocket and the fairing installed around them for protection
                during launch and ascent. Scheduled for liftoff Jan. 12, Deep
                Impact will probe beneath the surface of Comet Tempel 1 on July
                4, 2005, when the comet is 83 million miles from Earth. After
                releasing a 3- by 3-foot projectile to crash onto the surface,
                Deep Impacts flyby spacecraft will reveal the secrets of its
                interior by collecting pictures and data of how the crater forms,
                measuring the craters depth and diameter as well as the
                composition of the interior of the crater and any material thrown
                out, and determining the changes in natural outgassing produced
                by the impact. It will send the data back to Earth through the
                antennas of the Deep Space Network. Deep Impact is a NASA
                Discovery mission.

{highres}       3008 x 2000

{highsize}      641499

{hightype}      JPEG

{keywords}      NASA,KSC,Kennedy Space Center

{lowres}        320 x 212

{lowsize}       77727

{lowtype}       GIF

{mediumres}     1024 x 680

{mediumsize}    128495

{mediumtype}    JPEG

{number}        KSC-04PD-2697

{slideres}      120 x 108

{slidesize}     15500

{slidetype}     GIF

{tinyres}       100 x 66

{tinysize}      8288

{tinytype}      GIF

{title}         KSC-04PD-2697

{type}          Image

{end}