Deep Impact was a NASA space probe launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on
January 12, 2005.
It was designed to study the interior composition of the comet Tempel 1 (9P/Tempel),
by releasing an impactor into the comet.
At 05:52 UTC on July 4, 2005, the Impactor successfully collided with the comet's nucleus.
The impact excavated debris from the interior of the nucleus,
forming an impact crater. Photographs taken by the spacecraft showed
the comet to be more dusty and less icy than had been expected.
The impact generated an unexpectedly large and bright dust cloud,
obscuring the view of the impact crater.
Previous space missions to comets, such as Giotto, Deep Space 1, and Stardust,
were fly-by missions.
These missions were able to photograph and examine only the surfaces of cometary nuclei,
and even then from considerable distances.
The Deep Impact mission was the first to eject material from a comet's surface,
and the mission garnered considerable publicity from the media,
international scientists, and amateur astronomers alike.
Upon the completion of its primary mission,
proposals were made to further utilize the spacecraft.
Consequently, Deep Impact flew by Earth on December 31, 2007
on its way to an extended mission, designated EPOXI,
with a dual purpose to study extrasolar planets and comet Hartley 2 (103P/Hartley).
Communication was unexpectedly lost in August 2013 while
the craft was heading for another asteroid flyby.