Postcards from Spacecraft Rosetta - European Space Agency (ESA)

Some fascinating images and information...pasted some info for the post.

This morning, a thruster burn brought Rosetta into “orbit” around its target comet, signalling the start of its main science phase. The spacecraft will now track comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko for a year, following it through its closest approach to the sun to monitor how the extra heating affects the icy surface.

One of the most audacious space missions in decades, it is designed to reveal secrets about the origin of the solar system, the origin of our home planet and even the origin of life.

Attachment 175720

You can read more about it here:

http://www.theguardian.com/science/a...n-space-agency

And see the actual images being transmitted back from the spacecraft here - they are sexyllent and awesome!

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Sp...s_from_Rosetta