London, Dec 30
We all are interested in comets. What they contain, and what information they hide about our solar system.
The answer lies in Rosetta - a European spacecraft in hibernation and heading towards a 2.5-mile comet from Jupiter family whose orbits are controlled by the largest planet in the solar system.
On Jan 20 next year, Rosetta is set to receive a wake-up call for an unprecedented mission - to not only put itself into orbit around this comet but also send a lander on it.
“Rosetta should become a key element for our understanding of the history of the solar system,” said Stephan Ulamec, project manager for the spacecraft’s lander.
“It would be really interesting to find out whether the organic chemistry that is relevant for life is there on comets,” he was quoted as saying on Discover News.
The lander- named Philae- has 10 science instruments to tackle a wide range of studies, including an analysis for organic molecules and experiments to test a molecule’s symmetrical construction.
by:IANS