Rosetta comet probe nears asteroid flyby

[Sam Fraser]

A billion-euro (1.25-billion-dollar) European spacecraft will get up close and personal with an asteroid this Saturday as the probe blasts through the Solar System on its way to rendezvous with a comet.

Now racing through the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter at 47,800 kph (29,925 mph), Rosetta on Saturday will come within 3,200 kms (2,000 miles) of a potato-shaped rock, Lutetia.

One of the biggest gambles in the history of space exploration, the unmanned explorer is designed to meet up in 2014 with Comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko 675 million kms (422 million miles) from home.

http://www.physorg.com/news197696041.html

Why must it cost so much? (Rhetorical question.)

[RaresH]

Insurance :rolleyes:. In any case I look forward to seeing some close and personal images and data about the composition of the rock.

[Rhyshaelkan]

Certainly I would like to know more about the consistency of asteroids. How difficult will it be to mine, etc.

[Sam Fraser]

Some nice pics:

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Rosetta/SEM44DZOFBG_0.html

[RaresH]

Those are some very nice pictures. Well those will go directly into my reference folder. I'm curious about something though. Are those high exposure images? From what I understand these asteroids are generally as dark or darker than coal when viewed in the visual spectrum. Anybody know?

Can't wait for the composition data to be posted.