HRI Telescope Tubes

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The telescope tube for Deep Impact's High Resolution Imager (HRI) on the flyby spacecraft. The tube houses mirrors and light baffles for the High Resolution Imager which will observe the impactor spacecraft hit the comet and excavate a crater enabling scientists to look beneath the surface of Comet Tempel 1 at fresh material from the early Solar System.

The 35.5 cm diameter tube is made of a graphite composite material designed to have very low thermal expansion while providing a light weight and strong support structure for the mirrors.

CREDIT: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.