Rosetta, Philae to reunite on comet for Sept 30 mission endBy Mari�tte Le RouxParis (AFP) June 30, 2016 Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!After nearly two years apart, Europe's Rosetta spacecraft will join stranded robot probe Philae on September 30 on the icy surface of a comet hurtling through space, their eternal resting place, mission control said Thursday. In orbit around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which is speeding further and further away from the Sun and its battery-charging rays, the trailblazing space laboratory is starting to run low on energy. "Rosetta is reaching the end of its natural life," said the European Space Agency (ESA), announcing the swansong on a captivating 12-year quest. "The time has come for the orbiter to join its companion Philae on Churyumov-Gerasimenko," added France's CNES space agency. After its crashlanding, communications with Rosetta will be severed once and for all, closing the historic mission to unravel the secrets of comets -- believed to be time capsules from the birth of the Solar System. more..... http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/R...ite_on_comet_for_Sept_30_mission_end_999.html
