Russian Court Postpones Hearing in Astrologer's Deep Impact Lawsuit

Afterglow: NASA Lauds Deep Impact's Comet Crash
This image shows the initial ejecta that resulted when NASA's Deep Impact probe collided with comet Tempel 1 at 10:52 p.m. Pacific time, July 3 (1:52 a.m. Eastern time, July 4). It was taken by the spacecraft's medium-resolution camera 16 seconds after impact. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD.)

MOSCOW(AP) -- NASA's mission that sent a space probe smashing into a comet raisedmore than cosmic dust - it also brought a lawsuit from a Russian astrologer.

Marina Bai has sued theU.S. space agency, claiming the Deep Impact probe that punched a crater into thecomet Tempel 1 late Sunday "ruins the natural balance of forces in theuniverse," the newspaper Izvestia reported Tuesday. A Moscow court haspostponed hearings on the case until late July, the paper said.

Scientists say the crashdid not significantly alter the comet's orbit around the sun and said theexperiment does not pose any danger to Earth.

The probe's comet crashsent up a cloud of debris that scientists hope to examine to learn how thesolar system was formed.

Bai is seeking damagestotaling $300 million - the approximate equivalent of the mission's cost - forher "moral sufferings," Izvestia said, citing her lawyer Alexander Molokhov.She earlier told the paper that the experiment would "deform her horoscope."

NASA representatives inRussia could not be reached for comment on the case.

  • Deep Impact: Viewer's Guide and Mission News

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.