New Exploration of Tempel 1 (NExT)
On March 19, 2006, Stardust scientists announced that they were considering the possibility of redirecting the spacecraft on a secondary mission to image Tempel 1. The comet was previously the target of the Deep Impact mission in 2005, sending an impactor into the surface. The possibility of this extension could be vital for gathering images of the impact crater Deep Impact was unsuccessful in capturing due to dust from the impact, obscuring the surface.
On July 3, 2007 the mission extension was approved and renamed New Exploration of Tempel 1 (NExT). This investigation would provide the first look at the changes to a comet nucleus produced after a close approach to the sun. NExT also would extend the mapping of Tempel 1, making it the most mapped comet nucleus to date. This mapping would help address the major questions of comet nucleus geology. The flyby mission was expected to consume almost all of the remaining fuel, signaling the end of the operability of the spacecraft.
The mission objectives included the following:
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