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Last Week’s Comet Mission Was Literally “Touch and Go”

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark nor ever eagle flew-
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God. — High Flight

NASA Landed a Spacecraft on an Asteroid 200 Million Miles Away and Got It on Video

These images were captured over approximately a five-minute period. The imaging sequence begins at about 82 feet (25 meters) above the surface, and runs through the back-away maneuver, with the last image in the sequence taken at approximately 43 feet (13 meters) in altitude   about 35 seconds after backing away. The sequence was created using 82 SamCam images, with 1.25 seconds between frames. For context, the images are oriented with Bennu’s west at the top.

This follows up on last week’s item The Days of Miracles and Wonders: Bennu Flavor? One Scoop or Two?

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  • captflee October 24, 2020, 3:45 PM

    Let’s all just hope no one was wearing an inappropriate shirt.

    Bravo Zulu, team.

    And across the wires comes yet more news; Jerry Jeff Walker has left the building. Liked some of his stuff, especially his many collaborations. Bit of a lovie politically, but aren’t they all? While I am not usually given to lavishing praise on carpetbagging as a general proposition, I do upon occasion make exceptions; New York’s loss was a gain for Texas.