DON’T consign old space probes Stardust and Deep Impact to the scrap heap of deep space. Instead send them off on new missions and save yourself a fortune. The question is, will cash-strapped NASA be convinced by this plea from its scientists?
When Stardust’s sample-return capsule parachuted to Earth with its priceless cargo of dust from the tail of comet Wild 2 in January, the mother ship that carried it into deep space was left in a solar orbit. However, with some deft manoeuvres, Stardust could be sent to rendezvous with comet Tempel 1 in 2010, training its cameras on the crater made by Deep Impact’s…
