After a 10-year journey through
the Solar System, the Rosetta space craft has become the first
ever to orbit a comet, the European Space Agency said Wednesday.
The Rosetta finally caught up with the comet, officially
known as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, after crossing millions of
kilometres of space, bouncing between Earth and Mars and dodging
asteroids.
Reaching the comet is a milestone for European space
exploration, in which Italy has invested heavily through the
Italian Space Agency (ASI) and with industry.
"It (is) a particularly important moment in the history of
the exploration of the universe, we expect a lot of information
on the formation of our Solar System," from the Rosetta's
voyage, said Roberto Battiston, president of the ASI.
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