An impactor is a type of space probe designed to impact the surface of a celestial body with or without surviving.
History[]
The most known impactor is part of NASA's Deep Impact mission, which explored a comet. The impactor made a small crater, allowing the main rocket to analyze the plume from the impact.
The Soviet Impactor known as Luna 1 that is originally intended to impact the moon, but it missed, and Luna 2 impacted the moon, making it the first man-made object to hit another celestial body.
At the beginning of space exploration, there were many impactors built, which made a hard landing on the Moon, Mars, and Venus.
Gameplay[]
An impact mission is an easier task than a landing or return mission. This is what beginners should try at first.
Many rockets who nearly ran out of fuel can be sent on an impact trajectory to a celestial body to clear debris.
Many early missions will (unintentionally) become impact missions due to the difficulty of a proper landing.
Gallery[]
Impactor after re-entering Earth.