ESA's Rosetta mission (with contributions from NASA), was launched in 2004 and 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 (Philae) to a comet's surface.
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, it has provided insights into the history and evolution of the Solar System.
Its launch was on 2 March 2004, comet rendezvous manoeuvres from May - August 2014, arrival at comet on 6 August 2014, closest approach to sun on 13 August 2014, Philae lander delivery on 12 November 2014, mission end on 30 September 2016.
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Projects