Deep Space 1:
Goals: Deep Space 1 was an engineering test flight for a dozen new technologies, including highly-efficient ion engines and autonomous navigation software. After its successful primary mission, scientists sent teh spacecraft to get a close look - the closest at the time - at a comet's nucleus and structure.
Accomplishments: Despite the failure of a system that helped the spacecraft determine its orientation, the flyby was a success. Deep Space 1 - dubbed 'the little spacecraft that could' - sent back excellent images and science data from a comet. Information from the flyby was used to plan several later comet missions.
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On its way to comet Borrelly, Deep Space 1 set a record at the time for the longest operating time on a spacecraft engine. (An ion engine similar to DS1's is shown at right.)
