In doing so, the Rosetta spacecraft became the first spacecraft to “soft-land” a robot on a comet.
The mission will also see the first spacecraft accompany a comet as it enters the inner solar system.
In layman’s terms, the main mission of the spacecraft’s 10-year trip to the comet is to discover the origin of comets.
Scientists believe this is crucial in understanding the solar system as comets are believed to be the oldest bodies in the solar system.
The project was launched in 1993 and many of the scientists working on the project have dedicated their entire careers to this project.
To put the task into perspective, scientists had to land the device on the comet which was about four kilometres in diametre travelling as fast as 135 000 kilometres per hour.
In May of 2011, the Rosetta was almost a billion kilometres from the sun.
These mind blowing facts either captivate you or propel your mind to deeply question the significance of such a mission.
There are those who feel space missions like this are an utterly useless endevour costing governments billions of dollars (or 1.4-billion Euros, to be exact) with little to show for it and benefit for Joe Public.
They question the move to explore the universe when there are millions of starving, poverty-stricken people around the globe who could do with a slice of the money spent on this project.
However, it would be short-sighted and naïve to condemn such a complex and remarkable achievement as was the case with the Rosetta landing.
I am not saying we shouldn’t be focusing on issues at home, but why should we halt the discovery of the universe?
The mere fact that man was able to land a robot on a comet which is 300 billion kilometres away is a staggering achievement.
Something like this would not have been dreamt about 100 years ago.
The research that will be gained from this mission, and further space explorations, is vital in the discovering the story of mankind.
Can you imagine what humankind is capable of in the next 100 years?
I am a firm believer of dreaming big and the scientists responsible for this exploration have certainly done that, and achieved it.
Whether we are exploring space or researching ways to run cars on less harmful resources, are in the long run, benefiting the planet.
The research that went into the comet landing, and that of other academics, will hopefully change the face of the planet in the near future in which all Earth’s inhabitants can benefit. KvdL
Information obtained from www.rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov and www.esa.int.
