Rosetta's comet-hunting mission coming to an end
ROSETTA'S wild 12-year ride across our solar system and orbit around a comet has come to an end.
After spending 12 lonely years traversing the solar system, the Rosetta spacecraft is set to send its last transmissions home.
The three-tonne orbiter, Rosetta, and on board lander, Philae, set out from Earth in March 2004 on a mission to discover what comets could teach us about the early days of the solar system.
The mission marked the first time a spacecraft had entered orbit around a comet and sent a lander to touch down on the surface.
It will officially end on Friday when Rosetta comes to a rest a few kilometres from the ill-fated Philae lander on the charmingly named comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
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