What Did The Rosetta Mission Find

The Rosetta mission, a groundbreaking endeavor by the European Space Agency, set out to answer fundamental questions about the early solar system by studying comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. This ambitious mission, launched in 2004, finally revealed its treasures after a decade-long journey, providing unprecedented insights into these icy celestial bodies. So, what did the Rosetta mission find, and why is it so significant

A Closer Look at Comet 67P

Rosetta’s primary goal was to get up close and personal with a comet, something never before achieved. The mission successfully placed its Philae lander onto the comet’s surface, a feat that provided invaluable data. Before the lander, Rosetta’s orbiter meticulously mapped and analyzed the comet’s surface and its surrounding coma. The findings revolutionized our understanding of comets, revealing them to be far more complex and dynamic than previously imagined. These discoveries are crucial for understanding the building blocks of our solar system and the potential for life beyond Earth.

Here are some of the key discoveries made by the Rosetta mission:

• Unusual shape and structure: Comet 67P was found to have a distinctive “rubber duck” shape, consisting of two lobes connected by a narrow neck. This suggested it formed from the merger of two smaller comets early in the solar system’s history.
• Active surface features: Rosetta observed active jets of gas and dust erupting from the comet’s surface, driven by the Sun’s heat. These jets were found to be coming from specific active regions, often associated with cliffs and overhangs.
• Diverse organic molecules: The mission detected a wide array of organic molecules on the comet, including some that are considered the building blocks of life, such as amino acids and phosphorus. This suggests that comets could have delivered these essential ingredients to early Earth.

Philae’s brief but impactful surface operations yielded further surprises:

1. Anchoring difficulties: Due to unexpected low surface gravity and a hard surface, Philae bounced twice after its initial landing, eventually coming to rest in a precarious position.
2. Surface composition: Despite the landing challenges, Philae’s instruments were able to analyze the comet’s surface material, confirming the presence of water ice and various organic compounds.
3. Internal structure clues: Data from Philae provided early hints about the comet’s internal structure, suggesting it might be porous.

The combined data from Rosetta and Philae painted a detailed picture of comet 67P, including:

To delve deeper into the specifics of what the Rosetta mission found, we encourage you to explore the detailed scientific publications and mission reports that document these incredible discoveries.