http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/sendyourname/
(I cut a bit of the spiel about the previous thing they did in this vein).
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is also
offering you the opportunity to add your name to a CD-ROM destined for
spaceflight. This time, the CD-ROM will be onboard a spacecraft that
will crash into Comet Temple 1 on July 4th, 2005. And, no, that
"crash" line isn't a jab at NASA. The goal of JPL's Deep Impact
project is to crash a 370 kg (820 pound) mass -- including the CD-ROM
-- into the Comet Temple 1 in order to
1. Make a really, really big hole.
2. Observe how that hole forms
3. Measure the hole's depth and diameter
4. Measure the composition of the interior of the crater and the
stuff that gets blown out into space.
5. Determine how the hole changes the comet's tail.
According to JPL,
We learn about comets by studying the ice and dust that flows
naturally from a comet as it is warmed by the Sun. But we will
learn additional information by getting down inside where the
more pristine material is hidden. Scientists expect to find
hidden clues about how the solar system formed when they look at
the structure of Comet Tempel 1
That's cool, I guess, but in my humble opinion the greatest part about
this whole project is that my name [and yours too, if you want] will
forever be associated with "a spectacular, football field-sized
crater, seven to 15 stories deep."
That's just too cool for words.
How much does it cost to add your name -- or even better, your kids'
names -- to the CD-ROM? Nothing. It's completely free to everyone
around the world. Just hop on over to:
http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/sendyourname