What did Rosetta and Philae discover?
ESA’s Rosetta was the first spacecraft to orbit a cometary nucleus. It scored another historic first when its Philae probe made the first successful landing on the surface a comet and began sending back images and data.
How long did the Rosetta mission last?
12 years, 6 months, 28 days
Rosetta (spacecraft)
| Mission duration | Final: 12 years, 6 months, 28 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Astrium |
| Launch mass | Orbiter: 2,900 kg (6,400 lb) Lander: 100 kg (220 lb) |
| Dry mass | Orbiter: 1,230 kg (2,710 lb) |
What was the purpose of Rosetta?
Rosetta’s main objective is to rendezvous with and enter orbit around Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, performing observations of the comet’s nucleus and coma. During the period that Rosetta orbits the comet, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko will reach the closest point to the Sun in its orbit, on 13 August 2015.
What did we learn from Rosetta?
Earlier this month, mission scientists at last found Philae using images from Rosetta. When Philae landed on Comet 67P, scientists learned that the surface contained ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, and hydrogen sulfide, which together smell like pungent urine, almonds, and rotten eggs.
What can we learn from Rosetta?
Why is the Rosetta spacecraft important?
Rosetta was the first mission ever to orbit a comet’s nucleus and land a probe on its surface. It was also the first spacecraft to fly alongside a comet as it head towards the inner Solar System, watching how a frozen comet is transformed by the warmth of the Sun.
What did the Rosetta mission accomplished?
The Rosetta mission was the first to orbit (rather than just visit) a comet; the first to land a probe on a comet and, in its final moments, the first to conclude with a controlled comet crash-landing.