Washington, May 10: Russia charges 20 million dollars to take civilians aloft, but Nasa promised to take space fans' names, at least, to the Comet Tempel 1 - for free. "A compact disc bearing your name will be mounted on the Impactor spacecraft that will collide with Tempel 1, making this the first mission ever to look deep inside a comet," says a Nasa certificate that goes out to anyone who signs up.

And it's free at http://deepimpact.Jpl.Nasa.Gov before February 2004. Registration includes an enthusiastic certificate signed by NASA associate administrator Edward Weiler. "You are now part of the future discovery of clues about the beginning of our solar system as your name makes a deep impact!"

The names will be launched aboard the deep impact space probe in December 2004. It will travel seven months to meet the comet on July 4, 2005. "The Impactor is expected to make a spectacular, football field-sized crater, seven to 15 stories deep, in the speeding comet."
At the bottom will be the compact disc of names.
Bureau Report