SPACE TRAVEL 101:
      FUNDAMENTALS OF SPACE TRAVEL
Text Only
 

Main

 

Spacecraft Essentials

 

Missions

 

 

 Spacecraft - Penetrator

Analysis

A penetrator spacecraft is designed to slam into the surface of a body to gather information. It must be able to withstand a high-velocity impact in order to obtain the information to be sent back to the mother ship for transmission to Earth. As of 2004, no penetrator spacecraft has been successful. However, the Deep Impact mission plans to penetrate a speeding comet in 2005.