[originaltext] American scientists are making a first attempt to fire a proje

American scientists are making a first attempt to fire a projectile into a speeding comet in outer space. They hope the collision will tell them more about tile origins of the solar system. A NASA spacecraft called Deep Impact has fired a missile that is due to smash into the comet on Monday. P. G has more details.
   "Deep Impact has sent an instrument about the size of a washing machine toward the flight path of the onrushing comet Tempel 1. If all goes well, this so-called impactor will shortly be smashed to smithereens as the comet crashes into it at 23,000 miles an hour. The aim of the maneuver is to knock a chunk out of the comet and see what lies underneath. Space and ground based telescopes and instruments on Deep Impact itself will be trained to capture the collision and its aftermath. Astronomers will be analysing these images, which should give new insights into what comets are really made of."