The European Space Agency, NASA and scientists and fans of space travel the world over are bidding farewell to the Rosetta space probe today. 12 years on from its launch from Earth's surface, the comet orbiting space probe will finally come to rest – quite spectacularly – on the surface …
Read More »Rosetta and Philae data dump reveals lots about comets
The intrepid pair of exploratory spacecraft, Rosetta and Philae, made history last year when they enabled the first landing on a comet. Although it was a somewhat bumpy touchdown and we haven't heard much from Philae lately, it turns out we did learn a lot about the comet in the …
Read More »Rosetta data suggests comets didn’t seed Earth’s water
As smart as humans like to think they are, we have only been kicking around this planet in our current form for 200,000 years or so. When compared with the age of the universe, or even our own little rock within it, that's not even a minute on the cosmic …
Read More »Philae Lander begins drilling with just hours of battery left
With just a few short hours of battery life left on the Philae lander craft that recently touched down on comet 67P, the European Space Agency (ESA) has announced that it's begun drilling into the surface of the interplanetary body. The plan is to try and retrieve some material from …
Read More »ESA scientists’ ‘sexist’ shirt story forgets why we look to the stars
The last few days have been an exciting time for those that follow the efforts of organisations like NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), as the 10 year, four billion mile journey of the Rosetta probe came to an end as it reached Comet 67P and dropped off its …
Read More »Rosetta successfully releases Philae Lander for comet descent
Update: The confirmation has come through. Philae has successfully separated from the Rosetta Probe “flawlessly” and now begins its multiple hour descent. This is quite an emotional moment for the Probe's crew back here on Earth, as Philae and Rosetta have travelled through space inseparably for over 10 years and …
Read More »Rosetta to land on comet in next 36 hours
Remember Rosetta? The little probe that left Earth back in 2004 and spent a near decade taking a jaunt through space so that it could finally enter orbit around the 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko comet? Back in August this year it did just that and many watched it happen live. If that's something you …
Read More »Watch live as the Rosetta probe circularises comet orbit
Update: It's done it. Rosetta has reached the comet! The Rosetta Probe was launched into the cosmos over a decade ago back in March 2004, with plans to have it rendezvous with a comet, begin orbiting it – essentially sticking to it like the moon does with the Earth – and eventually …
Read More »Comet probing space craft awakes after 31 month sleep
Rosetta, the European Space Agency's comet probe and lander craft, has awoken after almost three years of hibernation and ten years of space travel and is now set to spend the next two years on an approach with the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet in order to test its surface and structure to learn …
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