Deep Impact managed just what its name implies.

The spacecraft collided with a comet, throwing brilliant debris into space.

Crashing a spaceship might not seem like a big deal. After all, most of the science of space exploration involves not crashing. But in this case, the results were spectacular.

NASA scientists managed to launch an 820-pound washing-machine-sized science instrument at a comet 268 million miles away and hit the target, which is about the size of Washington, D.C.

The impactor sent images home of its own demise, and a second spacecraft recorded the crash and collected data on the comet.

Hitting the comet provides scientists with an opportunity to gain new insight into the nature of comets, particularly, and the universe more generally. The success comes after the amazing performance of two Mars rovers, small probes that have continued their exploration of the planet long after their expected expiration date.

The argument is often made that the United States wastes money on space exploration that could be better spent solving problems on Earth. But investment in NASA provides much more than data on comets and the composition of Martian soil. It’s an incubator for new ideas and technologies that pay real dividends with research with implications much closer to home – in health care, climatology and consumer products.

Kids in school often look at science and engineering careers as a drag, perhaps intimidated by the math and the complicated formulas. NASA is one of the few institutions that still makes science glamorous.

The United States, however, is losing its edge in science and technology. Ireland, for example, has set a goal of doubling the number of Ph.D.s it graduates, and India and China push bright students toward careers in engineering. U.S. society, on the other hand, allows the myth of the math geek to persist.

Smashing a spaceship into a comet, that’s cool. The implications go beyond collecting new information to inspiring a new generation of big thinkers.