|
This handout file photo released by the European Space Agency (ESA) on December 3, 2012 shows an artist's impression of the Rosetta orbiter at comet 67P/Churyumov�Gerasimenko. The image is not to scale; the Rosetta spacecraft measures 32 m across including the solar arrays, while the comet nucleus is thought to be about 4 km wide.
European spacecraft Rosetta will end its mission on September 30, 2016, after travelling almost seven billion kilometres (4.4 billion miles) to probe the secrets of comets, with help from a high-tech robot named Philae. The 1.4-billion-euro ($1.5-billion), 12-year odyssey will conclude with a last-gasp spurt of science-gathering as Rosetta departs the orbit of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and descends over 14 hours to her final resting place. (Photo by C. Carreau/AFP Photo/ESA)
|
