As NASA crashes a space-probe into a comet, blasting a crater the size of Wembley stadium, the award-winning Stardate will be broadcasting from mission headquarters bringing the latest pictures and reactions from the project’s scientists to the British public.

Comet Impact: Stardate will be on location at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab in Los Angeles, as the NASA space mission Deep Impact reaches its climax.

After a voyage lasting 173 days and 431 million kilometres (268 million miles), NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft will get up-close and personal with comet Tempel 1 on 4 July - American Independence Day.

The hyper-speed impact between the space-borne iceberg and the copper impactor (which is roughly the size of a washing machine) will be the first time anyone has attempted to bring together a comet and a spacecraft. The collision is scheduled for 6.52am BST, and it will be observed by the Deep Impact mother-ship, and ground and space-based observatories.

Hosted by Dr Brian Cox and Dr Lucie Green, Stardate will ensure that Britain is kept up-to-date as this important astronomical event unfolds.

This programme was broadcast in 2006; there are currently no plans for it to be repeated

Content last updated: 08/07/2005