What tasks exist between 2000 and 2005, before the launch?
The flight systems will be built between March 2001 and October 2003. It is then delivered to Cape Canaveral at the end of 2004 for launch at the beginning of 2005. Meanwhile, the science team will continue observations of the comet to better understand the environment that the spacecraft will encounter. Studies of cratering processes, both lab simulations and computer models, will continue. And the details of the observing sequence — when to take images, when to take spectra, and when to send data back — for the mission will be designed. Be sure to watch our timeline to see where we are in the mission.
