It’s the final countdown: Will Europe’s Rosetta mission achieve the first ever comet landing today? November 12, 2014 In less than an hour, we will know whether humans have managed to land a spacecraft on a comet for the first time ever. Six hours ago, the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft released its landing probe to begin descent to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Rosetta, which was first launched from French Guiana in 2004, has been hurtling [...]
Rosetta takes a selfie in space with its new comet friend September 11, 2014 The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft has taken time out from its comet-chasing mission to take a selfie. Named after the hieroglyph-breaking Rosetta Stone from the 1800s, it is hoped that Rosetta will translate some of the secrets of the universe into explanations for the origin of comets, the solar system, and possibly even [...]
Rosetta arrives at its destination in “sexiest, most fantastic mission ever” August 7, 2014 The thought of travelling four billion miles in ten years might make you feel dizzy, but it's exactly what the European Space Agency (ESA) Rosetta space probe has managed to do in what has been described as the “sexiest, most fantastic mission ever”. Rosetta, which was first launched in 2005, has been hurtling towards [...]
Rosetta finds a surprise as it approaches secret-holding comet July 16, 2014 Rosetta, the probe that cost the European Space Agency (ESA) €1bn to launch into space as part of a comet-chasing mission, has discovered more than the scientists bargained for. Named after the code-breaking Rosetta stone, it is currently speeding towards comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in the hope that, when it lands its probe on the surface [...]