back to article SCORE: Rosetta probe hits orbit of duck-shaped comet

After a 10-year-long chase of the pleasingly duck-shaped "67P", the European Space Agency’s Rosetta probe has become the first spacecraft in history to rendezvous with a comet. Watch live streaming video from eurospaceagency at livestream.com “After 10 years, five months and four days travelling towards our destination, …

  1. Bronek Kozicki

    this is big

    congratulations to all involved, very impressive!

  2. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

    Very impressive

    But I do have to take issue with the statement “Europe’s Rosetta is now the first spacecraft in history to rendezvous with a comet, a major highlight in exploring our origins. Discoveries can start.”, as they seem to have completely forgotten about NASA's Deep Impact and Stardust missions, which impacted with, and returned cometary samples from comet Tempel-1.

    1. hammarbtyp

      Re: Very impressive

      Agreed.

      Let's not forget Giotto's rendezvous with Halley either

    2. EddieD

      Re: Very impressive

      Stardust - and Giotto*, in '86 - were flyby missions. Deep Impact though, yep, in a way - the main probe was flyby, the impactor did indeed rendezvous with Tempel one, albeit terminally.

      Rosetta is the first probe to go into orbit around a comet.

      *We opened the TV room of our student union late so we could watch it live. Shame it got thwacked....

    3. FlatSpot
      Holmes

      Re: Very impressive

      NASA's Deep Impact and Stardust were flyby and smash into a comet missions, rather than a rendezvous. I guess you could play on the semantics of what is a rendezvous.

      1. frank ly

        Re: Very impressive re. semantics

        I'm sure a rendezvous involves Rama in some way.

        1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

          Re: Very impressive re. semantics

          As long as you don't include the depressing sequels...

          1. BristolBachelor Gold badge

            Re: Very impressive re. semantics

            Unfortunately I bought all the sequels a couple of years ago before I found out they weren't actually written by Arthur C. Clarke. When I read that he gave storylines for the books, I read them anyway to see where the story went, but the writting style was depressingly different.

  3. Neil Barnes Silver badge
    Coat

    This article lacks a critical word:

    Boffin.

    Not one mention, for shame.

    So, congratulations to all the boffins involved with this little jaunt.

    The white lab coat, obviously. -->

    1. Goat Jam

      Re: This article lacks a critical word:

      That's what you get when you insist on hiring profeshinul jernalists I guess.

  4. Grikath
    Pint

    what can you say...

    just impressive..

    The peeps who got Rosetta this far deserve a couple of cold ones.

  5. psychonaut

    these boffins should get some Penicillin

    cos they all deserve a massive clap

  6. JeffyPoooh
    Pint

    "...enters orbit of..."

    BBC WS said it achieved a parallel track 60 miles out. So well done on the wording "orbit of" as opposed to "orbit around".

  7. Pascal Monett Silver badge
    Boffin

    Awesome

    That is all.

    (icon in honor of those involved, obviously)

  8. Nigel Whitfield.

    I just hope ...

    ... that we get more out of this visit to a comet than a five year warranty and £100 HDMI cable

  9. thomas k.

    cometary landing

    Good thing it's just a robotic probe as I seem to remember a movie about humans landing on a comet - didn't end to well as I recall.

  10. Steve Knox
    Coat

    Title

    Europe space team scores WORLD FIRST

    Comet first, shurely...

  11. Mark 85

    No matter what

    This is still an amazing event. I've lived and seen Vanguard (didn't "see" Sputnik) and the rest of the launches and space probes. But this one is magnificent just because of the scale and time.

  12. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Pint

    Delighted

    There has been some serious mathematics and engineering to get to this point. I wish I could give the team a considerable number of these (or beverage of their choice).

  13. mr.K
    Go

    Well done

    That is all. Just, well done!

    Note: I am not sure if the mouse over text on the icon is the right message here, but I like it.

  14. ian 22

    OMG!

    It's the Duck of Death if it collides with Earth!

  15. ravenviz Silver badge
    Boffin

    250km to the surface of the planet

    The application of celestial mechanics is stupefying, they put Rosetta to within 4% of Mars' diameter for a sling shot! That in itself is impressive!

  16. baseh

    Fantastic achievement and congrats to all involved

    Not forgetting those that coughed up the money.

    Now on to practicalities - an Armageddon-like mission planning

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Science!

    What would bronze-age sheep herders make of this?

    Space-duck Messiah?

  18. Gobhicks
    Happy

    Only 24 Comments???

    No-one could think of anything snarky to say about this, apparently, which is encouraging in itself.

    Please allow me to add my most enthusiastic felicitations to those already expressed.

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