Rosetta is in orbit

[StuW]

Some amazing images coming back!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-28659783

Europe's Rosetta probe has arrived at a comet after a 10-year chase.

In a first for space history, the spacecraft was manoeuvred alongside a speeding body to begin mapping its surface in detail.

The spacecraft fired its thrusters for six and a half minutes to finally catch up with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

"We're at the comet!" said Sylvain Lodiot of the European Space Agency (Esa) operations centre in Germany.

Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote

For me this is the sexiest, most fantastic mission there's ever been”

Dr Matt Taylor
Project scientist
"After 10 years, five months and four days travelling towards our destination, looping around the Sun five times and clocking up 6.4 billion km, we are delighted to announce finally 'we are here'," said Jean-Jacques Dordain, director general of Esa.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

Awesome. Cheers for the link.

[Diablo]

It's a wonderful story. I wonder what they'll find, maybe traces of life....

[Anomalocaris]

10 year chase, huh?

I have a mental image of the Rosetta probe lashed to the side of the comet, jabbing it with harpoon, and exclaiming: "to the last I grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee."

[Clueless Morgan]

Very cool

[Napoléon]

If you want to see the probe's actual journey, check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEQuE5N3rwQ

[StuW]

I dunno about you, but the pics look like blackpool through a widefield lens.

[bennyboy]

Every space-related story just makes me QQ for the fall of NASA.

Sad now.

[Cato]

This space exploration achievement needs a theme song. In honor of Rosetta I present this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tCyJzI-6kc

[zebo-the-fat]

I find it amazing that they will be able to orbit it, I wouldn't have thought that this tiny lump would have enough gravity for this, plus it's such an odd shape the gravity will be a bit strange, not nice and even like on a sphere. I did read they are going to start out with a distant orbit then slowly get closer so I suppose this will give them a chance to work out the problems. The first results show that it is about 20 C hotter than predicted, probably due to the surface being "dirty" not nice white ice, I can't wait to see what other surprises they find when (if) they get the lander down in November.