Space probe
Rosetta has reached position near a deep-space comet that scientists hope holds
clues about the solar system's origins. The much-anticipated rendezvous comes
at the end of a decade-long journey.
Deutsche Welle, 6 Aug 2014
The Rosetta
probe drew close to its study subject, the prosaically-named
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet, closely monitored by European Space Agency
officials at mission control in Darmstadt, Germany.
The orbital
entry on Wednesday was triggered by a firing of thrusters to bring the craft
into the first of a series of "pyramidal" paths around the comet's
nucleus, which has been likened to a rubber duck because of its odd shape.
ESA's
Twitter account for the mission tweeted a photo of the comet's nucleus, along
with a succession of greetings in different European languages.
Rosetta arrives at comet destination after a 10-year journey http://t.co/rrubq6Ov56 pic.twitter.com/DG904A8faN
— ESA (@esa) 6 augustus 2014
The arrival
marked a key moment for the 1.3-billion-euro ($1.76-billion) project examining
the formation of the solar system. If all goes according to plan, Rosetta will
carry out its first landing on the comet in November, sending a robot chemistry
laboratory named Philae to the comet's surface.
Rosetta
took off from Earth aboard an Ariane 5 rocket on March 2, 2004, from ESA's
launchpad in French Guiana. The space agency has likened its unprecedented
journey to a game of "cosmic billiards."
To reach
its present position, the craft had to make four flybys of Earth and Mars,
using the gravitational force of each as a slingshot. Rosetta then entered a
31-month hibernation period as the sun became too weak for its solar panels,
coming back to life in January this year.
The latest
maneuvers, to bring the probe within about 100 kilometers (60 miles) of the
comet, have involved the craft making a series of braking maneuvers. The probe
will eventually be steered into position some 10 kilometers from the nucleus'
surface.
Astrophysicists
believe comets, icy clusters left over from the formation of the planets 4.6
billion years ago, could be the key to understanding how the planets coalesced
and formed around the sun. It is also thought they might harbor clues as to the
source of the water that formed the Earth's oceans, as well as the origins of
life itself.
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