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EPOXI (Deep Impact Extended)

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description EPOXI (Deep Impact Extended) Overview

EPOXI was a NASA extended mission that repurposed the Deep Impact spacecraft after its primary mission to study extrasolar planets and flyby comets. The mission combined two investigative components: EPOCh, which observed exoplanets, and DIXI, which executed a close flyby of Comet Hartley 2 in 2010. This extension allowed researchers to maximize the scientific use of the existing probe.

help EPOXI (Deep Impact Extended) FAQ

What was the EPOXI mission?

EPOXI was a NASA extended mission that repurposed the Deep Impact spacecraft after its primary mission concluded in 2005. It was designed to study extrasolar planets and execute a close flyby of a comet.

What are the two components of the EPOXI mission?

The name EPOXI is a combination of two investigative projects: EPOCh and DIXI. EPOCh used the spacecraft's high-resolution camera to observe known exoplanets, while DIXI (Deep Impact eXtended Investigation) was tasked with executing a close flyby of Comet Hartley 2.

Which comet did the EPOXI spacecraft visit?

The DIXI portion of the mission successfully completed a close flyby of Comet Hartley 2 in November 2010. The spacecraft's instruments captured detailed images of the comet's nucleus, revealing it was highly active and shaped like a peanut.

Why did NASA reuse the Deep Impact spacecraft for EPOXI?

After the Deep Impact spacecraft successfully dropped an impactor onto Comet Tempel 1 in 2005, it still had plenty of fuel and functioning instruments. To maximize scientific return on the investment, NASA extended the mission to study new celestial targets rather than letting the probe go to waste.

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