10-yr space chase: Rosetta finally catches up with her comet
The Rosetta probe has finally caught up with the comet it has been chasing for the last ten years. The European Space Agency confirmed that it is orbiting the comet, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from a distance of about 100 kilometers.
The head of the European Space Agency (ESA), Jean-Jacques Dordain, said this was “an important milestone in Rosetta’s life,” while the next goal for the explorer will be to put a lander on the comet, so that samples can be sent back to scientists to see what minerals and possible life organisms it contains.
This is due to take place in November when the spacecraft is to attempt landing, if everything goes to plan. The mission will continue until the end of 2015. However, before this date, scientists need to try and learn as much as they can about the comet they have been chasing for so long.
“We know what the comet’s shape is. But we haven’t really measured its gravity, we don’t know yet where the center of mass is,” Rosetta Flight Director Andrea Accomazzo told Reuters ahead of the rendezvous. Continue reading . . .
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