The Deep Impact Mission utilized a copper impactor, composed of 49% copper and 24% aluminum, to minimize the corruption of spectral emission lines crucial for analyzing the comet's nucleus. The primary goal was to enhance scientific data collection rather than address corrosion resistance, as the impactor was mostly vaporized upon impact. This design choice directly influenced the mission's ability to gather accurate scientific information.
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Shawnzyoo said:does anyone know the reason why they used a copper "impactor" for the deep impact mission?
is it for its corrosion resistance?
thanks
The impactor is made primarily of copper (49%) as opposed to aluminum (24%) because it minimizes corruption of spectral emission lines that are used to analyze the nucleus.