SpaceWatchtower: After a Decade European Space Probe Reaches Comet

Thursday, August 7, 2014

After a Decade European Space Probe Reaches Comet

Today, after a decade-long journey chasing its target, the European Space Agency's Rosetta probe, carrying three NASA instruments, became the first spacecraft to rendezvous with a comet, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

"After 10 years, five months and four days travelling towards our destination, looping around the sun five times and clocking up 6.4 billion kilometers, we are delighted to announce finally we are here," said Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA's director General.

Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by Rosetta’s OSIRIS narrow-angle camera on August 3, 2014, from a distance of 177 miles (285 kilometers). Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA Full image and caption

The latest images of the comet taken by Rosetta are available at http://www.nasa.gov/rosetta

Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and Rosetta are 252 million miles (405 million kilometers) from Earth, about halfway between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars. The comet is in an elliptical, 6.5-year orbit that takes it from beyond Jupiter at its farthest point, to between the orbits of Mars and Earth at its closest to the sun. Rosetta will accompany the comet for over a year as it swings around the sun and back out towards Jupiter again.

Rosetta is 62 miles (100 kilometers) from the comet's surface. Over the next six weeks, it will fly two triangular-shaped trajectories in front of the comet.

More - Link >>> http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/06aug_rosetta6/

Source: NASA Science News.

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