Why do scientists want to impact a comet?
Scientists expect significant changes in the material that makes up the comet as you go deeper into the comet, just as the material of the Earth changes significantly the deeper you go underground. Only an impact mission can study the interior of a comet below the evolved surface layer. Other missions, such as ESA’s Rosetta Mission, are being planned that will land on a comet and scratch the surface. But the Deep Impact Mission is the only one that will excavate a large enough hole to see the interior composition of the comet. Take a look at our science Objectives.
