Abstract
Halley's comet will cross the earth's orbit and will remain within reasonable distance for spacecraft observation during the period November 1985 through March 1986. The European Space Agency (ESA) will be sending the Giotto spacecraft to study Halley. There is about a 70/40 proportion of European to American scientists on the mission team.Out of 10 instruments to observe the coma on board Giotto as it passes through Halley's cometary dust at a relative velocity of 244,800 km/hour, two mass spectrometers will sample and analyze cometary gases. One of these spectrometers is being built in part by the Lockheed Missiles and Spacecraft Company's Research Laboratory, and the other one is being built by the Max Planck Institute in Landau, Federal Republic of Germany. If the system survives bombardment by particles, the gas composition of a comet will be known for the first time.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
