ESA - Rosetta - Comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko

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Comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko

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Rosetta’s 12 year expedition will begin in February 2004, with an Ariane-5 launch from Kourou in French Guiana. The three-tonne spacecraft will first be inserted into a parking orbit, before being sent on its way towards the outer Solar System.
After brief encounters with asteroids, Rosetta will travel far beyond the asteroid belt to reach its main target, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is a large dirty snowball that orbits the Sun once every 6.6 years. During this time, it commutes between the orbits of Jupiter and the Earth. However, little is known about it, despite its regular visits to the inner Solar System.

Credits: ESA/AOES Medialab

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The nucleus of Comet Halley as seen from the Giotto spacecraft by the Halley Multicolour Camera.

Credits: MPAe, Lindau

Last update: 5 October 2004

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