The Rosetta Mission Asks What Can We Learn from Comets? - HD

2014-08-28 4

The Rosetta mission will give us an unprecedented look inside a comet, watching the icy traveler become active as it nears the sun. What can we learn from this adventure? Composed of an orbiter and lander, Rosetta's objectives since arriving at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in August 2014 are to study the celestial object up close in unprecedented detail, prepare for landing a probe on the comet's nucleus in November, and track its changes through 2015, as it sweeps past the sun.

Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL-Caltech