European comet-chaser settles into icy retirement

THE ROSETTA spacecraft of the European Space Agency (ESA) has ended its historic, 12-year comet chase, having landed upon the surface of its dusty, icy target-planet, in a mission that has provided insight into the early days of the solar system, and captured the public’s imagination.

The spacecraft has stalked c o met 6 7 P/ ChuryumovGerasimenko across more than 6 billion kilometres of space, collecting a treasure trove of infor mation on comets that will keep scientists busy for the next decade.

The “collision manoeuvre” that began last night came to a successful conclusion shortly after 1pm yesterday. Project scientist Matt Taylor said, ahead of the final descent,“We want to go out at the peak of capability. We don’t want a comeback tour that’s rubbish.

“We will end in a very rock- and-roll fashion.”

Rosetta’s instruments and camera are currently sending back data and images, giving scientists insight into the structure of the comet before the spacecraft is shut down permanently.

The descent will reveal information on the side walls of the comet, crucial to understanding how comets are for med; also on large 100m-wide pits, which scien- tists believe are key to how the comet releases gas and dust as it is warmed by the sun.

The mission has managed several historic firsts, such as getting a spacecraft into orbit around a comet and the unprecedented landing of a probe on the surface of a comet.

Daniel Brown, an astronomy expert at Nottingham Trent University, said the images being sent from the Rosetta mission are “as powerful as Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the Moon”.

Data collected by Rosetta and lander Philae, which reached the surface in November 2014, is already helping scientists better understand how the Earth and other planets were formed.

The ESA is ending the mission because 67P is racing toward the outer solar system, out of range for the solar-powered spacecraft. – Reuters