Why is ESA a pioneer in cometary exploration? Which other countries are working in this field too?
In 1986, ESA’s Giotto spacecraft performed the closest comet fly-by ever at a distance of 200 kilometres. It sent back pictures and data showing that comets contain complex organic molecules. Giotto continued its successful journey and in 1992 flew within 200 kilometres of Comet Grigg-Skjellerup. Now scientists will be eagerly waiting to be able to answer some of the new intriguing questions that arose from analysing the exciting results from Giotto. Other past missions that have flown by a comet were: NASA’s ICE mission in 1985, the two Russian Vega spacecraft and the two Japanese spacecraft Susei and Sagigake that were part of the armada that visited Comet Halley in 1986. In 2001, NASA’s Deep Space 1 went to Comet Borelly and in January 2004 NASA’s Stardust spacecraft flew by Comet Wild 2 and will return samples of the comet’s coma in 2006. Unfortunately, NASA’s Contour launched in 2002 failed when it was inserted onto its interplanetary trajectory. Later this year we will see the la
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