Rosetta
Chasing a comet
February 2004 Rosetta was launched on board an Ariane-5 launcher from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Rosetta is the first mission to orbit and land on a comet.
The comet is Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which Rosetta will encounter in 2014 after a "billiard ball" voyage through the Solar System lasting more than ten years.
Rosetta will study the nucleus of the comet and its environment in great detail for almost two years, and land a probe on its surface. This will help us to understand if life on Earth began with the help of 'comet seeding'.
As soon as it touches down, two harpoons will anchor the probe to the surface, the self-adjusting landing gear will ensure that it stays upright, even on a slope and then the lander's feet will drill into the ground (to counteract the very low gravity on a comet).
The lander will study the composition and structure of the comet nucleus material. Determine the elements, traces of minerals and isotopic composition of the comet's surface and immediate subsurface. The comet's surface strength, density, texture, porosity, ice phases and thermal properties will also be studied. Texture investigations will include microscopic studies of individual grains.
www.esa.int/rosetta
