Computer image showing what the probe may have looked like when landing on the comet.
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Courtesy of NASA
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Comet Images
Comet Probe Mission is Scrapped
News story originally written on June 30, 1999
NASA cut its newest project, which would have sent a probe to a comet. Sometime in 2005, the comet may have landed on comet Tempel 1. Now, there is no more money to continue the mission.
NASA spent a lot of the money on the new Chandra-X Space Telescope and the Hubble Telescope. They both needed extra money to fix problems. The left over money will be given to different projects.
The probe should have studied the core of the comet. Scientists were hoping to study the makeup of these weird objects. We could have learned how to better protect our planet from a possible collision.
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