ESA title

The mission

ESA's Rosetta mission was the first to rendezvous with a comet, the first to follow a comet on its orbit around the Sun, and the first to deploy a lander to a comet's surface.

Comets are time capsules containing primitive material left over from the epoch when the Sun and its planets formed. By studying the gas, dust and structure of the nucleus and organic materials associated with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, via both remote and in situ observations, the Rosetta mission taught us about the history and evolution of our Solar System.

Rosetta is an ESA mission with contributions from its Member States and NASA. Rosetta’s Philae lander was provided by a consortium led by DLR, MPS, CNES and ASI.

Launch: 2 March 2004
1st Earth gravity assist: 4 March 2005
Mars gravity assist: 25 February 2007
2nd Earth gravity assist: 13 November 2007
Asteroid Steins flyby: 5 September 2008
3rd Earth gravity assist: 13 November 2009
Asteroid Lutetia flyby: 10 July 2010
Enter deep space hibernation: 8 June 2011
Exit deep space hibernation: 20 January 2014
Comet rendezvous manoeuvres: May - August 2014
Arrival at comet: 6 August 2014
Philae lander delivery: 12 November 2014
Closest approach to Sun: 13 August 2015
Mission end: 30 September 2016

Rosetta

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Rosetta at Comet (landscape)
Science & Exploration

Rosetta's legacy: how were you inspired?

10/09/2024 2884 views 26 likes
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Comet on 3 August 2014
Science & Exploration

Rosetta and beyond: tales of a mission that left a mark

06/08/2024 5399 views 49 likes
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Rosetta Zoo comparison image
Enabling & Support

'Spot the difference' to help reveal Rosetta image secrets

05/05/2022 11434 views 192 likes
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Science & Exploration

Philae’s second touchdown site discovered at ‘skull-top’ ri…

28/10/2020 14358 views 66 likes
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Rosetta spies unexpected ultraviolet aurora at comet
Science & Exploration

Unique ultraviolet aurora spied at Rosetta's comet

21/09/2020 4784 views 47 likes
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Science & Exploration

Rosetta’s ever-changing view of a comet

25/09/2017 9318 views 32 likes
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