DEEP IMPACT

When the original Deep Impact mission ended, the spacecraft was in working order. NASA gave it two new tasks under the mission name of EPOXI. The primary task (DIXI or Deep Impact eXtended Investigation) was to fly past comet Hartley 2 in 2010. Along the way (Jan-Aug 2008) the spacecraft also observed planets around other stars (EPOCh)... The Deep Impact Flyby spacecraft successfully completed the EPOXI mission in 2011. The spacecraft was then tasked to observe comets whenever it could. It made successful observations of comet Garradd in 2012 and observations of ISON in early 2013. However, during Aug 2013, the spacecraft failed to "phone home" and after several attempts to regain command and control, the spacecraft was declared lost in Sept 2013... The Deep Impact spacecraft, launched in Jan 2004, arrived at comet Tempel 1 in Jul 2005 becoming the first mission to impact the surface of a comet.

Primary location: Pasadena United States