Approach strategy for the rendezvous with comet Tempel 2
The methods used to locate the comet nucleus and safety navigate through the debris surrounding the comet are discussed. The approach to the nucleus is in two parts: a high-speed (1.9 km/s) leg which ends with the spacecraft 200,000 km sunward of the nucleus, and a low-speed (25 m/s) leg which traverses the 200,000 km to the nucleus. The nucleus will be recovered by the narrow-angle camera 30 days prior to the completion of the high-speed inbound leg. The debris density is low enough to permit the safe passage of the spacecraft through the surrounding cometary debris.
Kakuda, R. Y.↗