Deep Space 1s risky encounter with comet Borrelly has gone extremely well as the aging spacecraft successfully passed within 2,200 kilometers (about 1,400 miles) of the comet at 22:30 Universal Time (3:30 p.m. PDT) today. "The images and other data we collected from comet Borrelly so far will help scientists learn a great deal about these intriguing members of the solar system family," said Dr. Marc Rayman, project manager of Deep Space 1 at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "Its very exciting to be among the first humans to glimpse the secrets that this comet has held since before the planets were formed."
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2001/release_2001_189.html
