ROSETTA (ESA SPACECRAFT)

On Sept. 2, 2016, the European Space Agency finally located Philae, its long-lost comet lander. Philae is a spacecraft about the size of a washing machine, and it was dropped off at Comet 67P by another spacecraft named Rosetta in November of 2014. But when its landing harpoons failed to deploy, it bounced all over the comet before tumbling into a shady place where its solar panels couldn't collect enough light. Philae did transmit some data to Rosetta while using the last of its batteries after the landing, and it occasionally made contact for months after the crash. Rosetta kept looking for Philae by flying around Comet 67P and taking photos. It took Rosetta almost two years to find Philae. A photo taken on Sept. 2, 2016 showed little Philae lying on its side in a dark, rocky crevice. Locating Philae's grave finally gave the European Space Agency some closure less than a month before Rosetta's mission came to an end with another epic crash landing on Comet 67P.

The European Space Agency has released remarkable images from Rosetta mission's final hours.

Catastrophic collisions between comets do not always have to end in destruction. New research shows that some comets can collide and quickly reform within just a few days, or even hours. Video from: "Catastrophic disruptions as the origin of bilobate comets" (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-018-0395-2). Credit: ESA/Rosetta/Navcam/Stephen R. Schwartz/Patrick Michel/Martin Jutzi/Simone Marchi/Yun Zhang/Derek C. Richardson

The ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA mission SOHO — short for Solar and Heliospheric Observatory — got a visit from an old friend this week when comet 96P entered its field of view on Oct. 25, 2017. The comet entered the lower right corner of SOHO’s view, and skirted up and around the right edge before leaving on Oct. 30. SOHO also spotted comet 96P in 1996, 2002, 2007 and 2012, making it the spacecraft’s most frequent cometary visitor. At the same time, comet 96P passed through a second NASA mission’s view: STEREO — short for Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory — also watched the comet between Oct. 26-28, from the opposite side of Earth’s orbit. It is extremely rare for comets to be seen simultaneously from two different locations in space, and these are the most comprehensive parallel observations of comet 96P yet. Scientists are eager to use these combined observations to learn more about the comet’s composition, as well as its interaction with the solar wind, the constant flow of charged particles from the Sun. Both missions gathered polarization measurements of the comet; these are measurements of sunlight in which all the light waves become oriented the same way after passing through a medium — in this case, particles in the tail of the comet. By pooling the polarization data together, scientists can extract details on the particles that the light passed through. Comet 96P — also known as comet Machholz, for amateur astronomer Dan Machholz’s 1986 discovery of the comet — completes an orbit around the Sun every 5.24 years. It makes its closest approach to the Sun at a toasty 11 million miles — a very close distance for a comet. When comet 96P appeared in SOHO’s view in 2012, amateur astronomers studying the SOHO data discovered two tiny comet fragments some distance ahead of the main body, signaling the comet was actively changing. This time around they have detected a third fragment — another breadcrumb in the trail that indicates the comet is still evolving. Scientists find comet 96P interesting because it has an unusual composition and is the parent of a large, diverse family, referring to a group of comets sharing a common orbit and originating from a much larger parent comet that over millennia, broke up into smaller fragments. Comet 96P is the parent of two separate comet groups, both of which were discovered by citizen scientists studying SOHO data, as well as a number of Earth-crossing meteor streams. By studying the comet’s ongoing evolution, scientists can learn more about the nature and origins of this complex family.

Last year, a fountain of dust was spotted streaming from Rosetta’s comet, prompting the question: how was it powered? Scientists now suggest the outburst was driven from inside the comet, perhaps released from ancient gas vents or pockets of hidden ice. The plume was seen by ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft on 3 July 2016, just a few months before the end of the mission and as Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko was heading away from the Sun at a distance of almost 500 million km. Alongside a steep increase in the number of dust particles flowing from the comet, Rosetta also detected tiny grains of water-ice. The images showed the location of the outburst: a 10 m-high wall around a circular dip in the surface. Previous plumes, collapsing cliffs and similar features have been seen on the comet, but spotting this one was especially fortunate: as well as imaging the location in detail, Rosetta also sampled the ejected material itself. Initially, scientists thought that the plume might have been surface ice evaporating in the sunlight. However, Rosetta’s measurements showed there had to be something more energetic going on to fling that amount of dust into space. How such energy was released remains unclear. Perhaps it was pressurised gas bubbles rising through underground cavities and bursting free via ancient vents, or stores of ice reacting violently when exposed to sunlight.

These 210 images reflect Rosetta’s ever-changing view of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko between July 2014 and September 2016. The sequence begins in the month leading up to Rosetta’s arrival on 6 August, when the comet was barely a few pixels in the field of view. Suddenly, the curious shape was revealed and Rosetta raced to image its surface, coming within 10 km, to find a suitable place for Philae to land just three months later. Philae’s landing is featured with the ‘farewell’ images taken by both spacecraft of each other shortly after separation, and by Philae as it drew closer to the surface at its first touchdown point. An image taken at the final landing site is also shown.The subsequent images, taken by Rosetta, reflect the varying distance from the comet as well as the comet’s rise and fall in activity as they orbited the Sun. Before the comet reached its most active phase in August 2015, Rosetta was able to make some close flybys, including one in which the lighting geometry from the Sun was such that the spacecraft’s shadow could be seen on the surface. Then, owing to the increase of dust in the local environment, Rosetta had to maintain a safer distance and carry out scientific observations from afar, but this also gave some impressive views of the comet’s global activity, including jets and outburst events. Once the activity began to subside, Rosetta could come closer again and conduct science nearer to the nucleus, including capturing more high-resolution images of the surface, and looking out for changes after this active period. Eventually, as the comet returned to the colder outer Solar System, so the available solar power to operate Rosetta fell. The mission concluded with Rosetta making its own dramatic descent to the surface on 30 September 2016, the final images taken reflected in the last images shown in this montage. Explore thousands of Rosetta images in our Archive Image Browser: https://imagearchives.esac.esa.int/ More about Rosetta and its science discoveries: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta Credits: ESA/Rosetta/NavCam – CC BY-SA IGO 3.0; ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA; ESA/Rosetta/Philae/CIVA; ESA/Rosetta/Philae/ROLIS/DLR

Rosetta’s operational mission ended in September 2016, but for the scientists and instrument teams the mission is far from over. Scientists have only scratched the surface analysing the amount of data produced by the mission. As this information is scrutinised, new discoveries are made, including a surprise final extra image taken by the OSIRIS camera during the spacecraft’s controlled descent onto the comet.

Images captured by the Rosetta spacecraft show what lies beneath the surface of Comet 67P, according to a report published March 21 in "Nature Astronomy"

Gerhard Schwehm, Rosetta Mission Manager, Head of Planetary Science Division, European Space Agency, discusses the making of Rosetta from the dream of a comet-nucleus sample-return mission to a comet orbiter and lander mission during the Caltech Space Challenge (September 12, 2011).

As Rosetta's comet approached its most active period last year, the spacecraft spotted carbon dioxide ice – never before seen on a comet – followed by the emergence of two unusually large patches of water ice. The carbon dioxide ice layer covered an area comparable to the size of a football pitch, while the two water ice patches were each larger than an Olympic swimming pool and much larger than any signs of water ice previously spotted at the comet. The three icy layers were all found in the same region, on the comet's southern hemisphere. A combination of the complex shape of the comet, its elongated path around the Sun and the substantial tilt of its spin, seasons are spread unequally between the two hemispheres of the double-lobed Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. When Rosetta arrived in August 2014, the northern hemisphere was still undergoing its 5.5 year summer, while the southern hemisphere was in winter and much of it was shrouded in darkness. However, shortly before the comet's closest approach to the Sun in August 2015, the seasons changed and the southern hemisphere experienced a brief but intense summer, exposing this region to sunlight again. In the first half of 2015, as the comet steadily became more active, Rosetta observed water vapour and other gases pouring out of the nucleus, lifting its dusty cover and revealing some of the comet's icy secrets. In particular, on two occasions in late March 2015, Rosetta's visible, infrared and thermal imaging spectrometer, VIRTIS, found a very large patch of carbon dioxide ice in the Anhur region, in the comet's southern hemisphere. This is the first detection of solid carbon dioxide on any comet, although it is not uncommon in the Solar System – it is abundant in the polar caps of Mars, for example. In the comet environment, carbon dioxide freezes at -193°C, much below the temperature where water turns into ice. Above this temperature, it changes directly from a solid to a gas, hampering its detection in ice form on the surface. By contrast, water ice has been found at various comets, and Rosetta detected plenty of small patches on several regions. The patch, consisting of a few percent of carbon dioxide ice combined with a darker blend of dust and organic material, was observed on two consecutive days in March. This was a lucky catch: when the team looked at that region again around three weeks later, it was gone. Assuming that all of the ice had turned into gas, the scientists estimated that the 80 m × 60 m patch contained about 57 kg of carbon dioxide, corresponding to a 9 cm-thick layer. Its presence on the surface is likely an isolated rare case, with the majority of carbon dioxide ice being confined to deeper layers of the nucleus. Scientists believe the icy patch dates back a few years, when the comet was still in the cold reaches of the outer Solar System and the southern hemisphere was experiencing its long winter. At that time, some of the carbon dioxide still outgassing from the interior of the nucleus condensed on the surface, where it remained frozen for a very long while, and vaporised only as the local temperature finally rose again in April 2015. This reveals a seasonal cycle of carbon dioxide ice, which unfolds over the comet's 6.5 year orbit, as opposed to the daily cycle of water ice, also spotted by VIRTIS shortly after Rosetta's arrival. Interestingly, shortly after the carbon dioxide ice had disappeared, Rosetta's OSIRIS narrow-angle camera detected two unusually large patches of water ice in the same area, between the southern regions of Anhur and Bes.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is hailing its ExoMars mission a success despite mystery over the fate of a lander supposed to have touched down on the Red Planet. Signals from the disc-shaped Schiaparelli probe stopped just before its scheduled landing on Wednesday, although a parachute to slow its descent did deploy. "Not only did it functionally work from a timing point of view but also the heat shield that is protecting the capsule throughout this atmospheric phase at high velocity has wor… READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/10/20/still-no-word-on-europe-s-mars-lander-but-esa-hails-mission-a-success What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

The fate of a European probe supposed to have touched down on Mars on Wednesday remains a mystery. At a news conference on Thursday morning, experts from the European Space Agency (ESA) admitted they can't even be sure the Schiaparelli lander is still in one piece! A problem arose as a parachute was released to slow its descent to the Red Planet. ==Essential data from #ExoMars Schiaparelli is being decoded. What we know so far: https://t.co/ZflMgUTaMk pic.twitter.com/Y5qbqg0bvj&mdas… READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/10/20/the-fate-of-european-lander-schiaparelli-due-to-have-touched-down-on-mars What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

The European Space Agency (ESA) is to give more details on Thursday morning (10.00 CET) as to what may have happened to the Schiaparelli probe which was supposed to have landed on Mars. Contact was lost during its descent on Wednesday afternoon (European time), before it reached the surface. Scientists are working to confirm its status via data received from other satellites, amid fears the probe may have crashed or been destroyed. What happened to #Schiaparelli? The signal continued throu… READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/10/19/mars-landing-what-happened-to-the-schiaparelli-probe What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

The world of astronomy has lost one of its stars. Soviet-Ukrainian astronomer Klim Churyumov has died aged 79. He is the man who discovered comet 67P -Churyumov-Gerasimenko with astronomer Svetlana Gerasimenko in 1969. It was the comet which the Rosetta space mission successfully landed its philae lander on in 2014. @IamComet67P RIP prof. #Churyumov. Your name will stay in the memory of #Space #Rosetta fans. It was a honour to get an interview with you pic.twitter.com/c8aK0ufgAV—… READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/10/15/astronomer-klim-cheryumov-co-discoverer-of-rosettas-comet-67p-has-died-according-to-ukrainian-media What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

The European Space Agency says its Rosetta spacecraft has finally crash-landed on its comet. Scientists at the control centre in Darmstadt clapped and hugged after screens showed the loss of signal when Rosetta touched down on the space rock, known as "67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko". Euronews correspondent Jeremy Wilks met four of the key players behind the Rosetta adventure. It's over!! ROSETTA is no more— Jeremy Wilks (@WilksJeremy) September 30, 2016 *Jeremy Wilk… READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/09/30/euronews-asks-the-experts-what-they-think-of-rosetta What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

Inside the main control room at ESA's operation centre as the Rosetta spacecraft sends its last signal from Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, confirming the end of the spacecraft’s 12.5 year journey in space.

*The Final Touchdown* The European Space Agency says its Rosetta spacecraft has finally crash-landed on its comet. Scientists at the control centre in Darmstadt clapped and hugged after screens showed the loss of signal when Rosetta touched down on the space rock, known as "67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko". *Leaving the empire of the Sun* The ESA is ending the mission because 67P is racing toward the outer solar system, out of range for the solar-powered spacecraft. Rosetta has… READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/09/30/rosetta-crash-lands-on-her-comet What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

On the last day of her incredible mission, Rosetta slowly descends to the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. After having sent her extraordinary data back home, she is ready to join Philae for a well deserved rest on the comet. But is there one last surprise in store? This video is available in the following languages: English https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcYo-qQ5HbA German https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ngPV02ie4g Spanish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PI103Je-cE French https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwML3kdmbPk Italian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_vaJmUt37s More about Rosetta: http://rosetta.esa.int http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta Credit: ESA

The Rosetta space mission is about to come "crashing to an end":http://www.euronews.com/2016/09/22/rosetta-heads-for-glorious-crash-landing. The probe that has been tracking Comet 67P since 2014 will be deliberately manouevred into the ball of ice and dust and is not expected to survive the impact. Pre-loaded software will ensure every system is shut down on contact. ==Replays of today's @ESA_Rosetta science talks #cometlanding https://t.co/TYZMdstRmf https://t.co/Ydf04Me6f1&mdash… READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/09/29/space-rosetta-mission-to-come-crashing-to-a-close What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

Rosetta's final hours: a 360 degree chat with some of the key players in the Rosetta mission, describing what will happen as the spacecraft's mission comes to an end on 30th September. Hosted by Euronews Space producer Jeremy Wilks with Sylvain Lodiot, Rosetta Spacecraft Operations Manager at ESA, Jocelyne Landeau-Constantin, Head of the Communication Office at ESA's Operations Centre, Gerhard Schwehm, Head of Solar System Science Operations Division for the European Space Agency. What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

How will the Rosetta space probe end its mission? StarTalk All-Stars host and cosmochemist Natalie Starkey fills us in on how it will make a crash landing into a comet! Rosetta Mission Project Scientist Matt Taylor explains the challenges of learning as much as possible as the probe makes its “controlled impact." Don’t miss out on comedian Chuck Nice's plan to use “controlled impact” as an insurance excuse for crashing his car. Learn more about the challenge with putting Rosetta in orbit around a comet, and what the comet might smell like. This video was shot during the recording of our episode, "Rosetta and Comet 67P, with Natalie Starkey.” If you'd like to listen to the full podcast, click here: http://www.startalkradio.net/show/rosetta-and-comet-67p-with-natalie-starkey-startalk-all-stars/ If you love StarTalk Radio, don't miss out on any StarTalk news. Sign up for our free newsletter: http://www.startalkradio.net/newsletter/youtube/ Catch up with StarTalk Radio around the web: iTunes - http://bit.ly/SOHDg6 SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/startalk Stitcher - http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/startalk TuneIn - http://tunein.com/radio/StarTalk-Radio-p334521/ Google Play Music - https://play.google.com/music/m/I6lczawbvvafjdburzbcc23aacu?t=StarTalk_Radio Twitter - https://twitter.com/StarTalkRadio Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/StarTalkRadio Google+ - http://googleplus.startalkradio.net Snapchat - https://www.snapchat.com/add/startalk-radio Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/startalk/ Tumblr - http://startalkradio.tumblr.com/ Instagram - http://instagram.com/startalkradio The List App - https://li.st/startalkradio

TMRO Astronomer Jared Head gives us a review of the incredible Rosetta mission from the European Space Agency, and then gives us a preview of what to expect in it's final days ahead at the end of the mission. TMRO Space Pods are crowd funded shows. If you like this episode consider contributing to help us to continue to improve. Head over to http://www.patreon.com/spacepod for information, goals and reward levels. Don't forget to check out our weekly live show campaign as well over at http://www.patreon.com/tmro

At least 33 more bodies have been recovered from a migrant boat which sank off the Egyptian coast last week, raising the confirmed number of dead to 202. But, uncertainty remains over how many people might still be missing. Survivors say the boat - which was en route to Italy - was carrying between 450 and 600 people when it capsized around 12 kilometres off the port city of Rosetta. "I ask those in power, the president himself, to pay more attention to the poor who are neglected, who becau… READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/09/28/egypt-migrant-boat-sinking-number-of-dead-surpasses-200 What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

Rosetta revisits the exciting scientific discoveries she made during her time at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, including the successful search to find Philae. Finally, she starts preparing to descend to the comet for the end of her extraordinary mission. This video is available in the following languages: English https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVKFyFbfpOI German https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoDMZRAyDFs Spanish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzAzBHmH8y8 French https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoJ1bE80pK8 Italian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5fAIKzJRBs More about Rosetta: http://rosetta.esa.int http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta Credit: ESA

Small particles from Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, obtained by multiple instruments on the Rosetta mission, are furthering our understanding of some big science. The formation and evolution of our Solar System played a vital role in how Earth, and the human race, came into existence. Since comets are remnants from our early Solar System, even a grain of microscopic dust can offer insight. Recently the orbiter’s COSIMA instrument discovered organic material in the form of carbon, far more complex than expected, inside several particles collected from the comet’s coma, or atmosphere. Its best match is a meteorite in the Orgueil collection, in France, which came from a now extinct comet. The COSIMA, GIADA and MIDAS instruments have all been collecting particles but MIDAS is concentrating on those smaller than 50 micrometres. One of these particles is special as it has an unusual repeating, fractal-like structure, seen for the first time in a comet and thought to be a survivor of the violent compaction process during the comet’s formation. Rosetta’s results are therefore having an impact on how scientists view the evolution of our Solar System, including our home planet. More about Rosetta: http://rosetta.esa.int http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta

Animation visualising Rosetta's descent to Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 30 September 2016. The sequence is speeded up to show the relative motion of Rosetta and the rotating comet below. Rosetta will target a smooth region close to several large pits measuring more than 100 m across and 60 m deep, on the small lobe of the comet. The impact time is predicted as 11:20 GMT +/- 20 minutes on 30 September. More information about Rosetta's descent towards region of active pits, see http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/Rosetta_s_descent_towards_region_of_active_pits For the latest updates, see http://rosetta.esa.int Credit: ESA/ATG medialab, Music: Pawel Blaszczak

Rescuers in Egypt have pulled more bodies from the sea, two days after a boat sank as it carried migrants towards Europe. In the early morning between 20 and 30 were brought to shore by fishing boats in Rosetta (Rashid) and loaded into ambulances. By the middle of the day on Friday the total number of confirmed dead in the tragedy was approaching 150. It's thought hundreds more are missing: the UNHCR has estimated that the boat was packed with some 450 people, while the state news agency MENA … READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/09/23/more-bodies-recovered-from-sea-after-egypt-migrant-tragedy What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

In just a few days' time ESA's Rosetta mission is going to come to a close in a most extraordinary fashion, because the spacecraft is going to slowly, and deliberately crash-land into the comet that it has been orbiting for the past two years. Euronews is with the team as they prepare for this dramatic finale. This video is available in the following languages: English https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_7u71Lu3S4 German https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX7SYFWzUp8 French https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXTn3mDWH-Y Spanish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjenXVAFTTw Italian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32nyF3IkzU8 Portuguese https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_CTvNZfXxc Greek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdUgVQibZWo Hungarian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3OTRPHckSM

In just a few days' time ESA's Rosetta mission is going to come to a close in a most extraordinary fashion, because the spacecraft is going to slowly, and deliberately crash-land into the comet that it has been orbiting for the past two years. Euronews is with the team as they prepare for this dramatic finale. euronews knowledge brings you a fresh mix of the world's most interesting know-hows, directly from space and sci-tech experts. Subscribe for your dose of space and sci-tech: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronewsknowledge Made by euronews, the most watched news channel in Europe.

Animation of Rosetta’s trajectory over the last two months of its mission at Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The animation begins in early August, when the spacecraft started flying elliptical orbits that brought it progressively closer to the comet at its closest approach. On 24 September 2016, Rosetta will leave its current close, flyover orbits and transfer into the start of a 16 x 23 km orbit that will be used to prepare and line up for the final descent. On the evening of 29 September (20:50 GMT) Rosetta will manoeuvre onto a collision course with the comet, beginning the descent from an altitude of 19 km. The spacecraft will fall freely, without further manoeuvres, collecting scientific data during the descent. The trajectory shown here was created from real data provided over the last month, but may not necessarily follow the exact comet distance because of natural deviations from the comet’s gravity and outgassing. Find out more about Rosetta at: http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta and http://www.esa.int/rosetta

Animation of Rosetta’s final trajectory in the last 10 days of its mission at Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. On 24 September 2016, Rosetta will leave a close flyover orbit and transfer into the start of a 16 x 23 km orbit that will be used to prepare and line up for the final descent. In the evening of 29 September (20:50 GMT) Rosetta will manoeuvre onto a collision course with the comet, beginning the descent from an altitude of 19 km. The spacecraft will fall freely, without further manoeuvres, collecting scientific data during the descent. The trajectory shown in this animation is created from real data provided in the last month, but may not necessarily follow the exact distance/time details because of natural deviations in the trajectory associated with the comet’s gravity and outgassing. Find out more about Rosetta at: http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta and http://www.esa.int/rosetta

ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft is set to complete its incredible mission in a controlled descent to the surface of Comet 67P/C-G on 30 September. Mission experts joined an ESA Hangout on 19 September to discuss Rosetta’s final days and hours of operation, including expectations for the images and other scientific data that will be collected as the spacecraft gets closer and closer to the surface. They also discuss the exciting discovery of Philae that was made earlier this month.  Hangout guests: Andrea Accomazzo, Flight operations director  Sylvain Lodiot, Rosetta spacecraft operations manager Claire Vallat or Richard Moissl (TBC), Rosetta science ground segment liaison scientist  Laurence O’Rourke, Rosetta downlink science operations manager (lander search coordinator)  Moderated by Emily Baldwin, Space Science Editor.

What went wrong with SpaceX's Falcon 9 on September 1st? And an update on our old friend Philae! Learn more about Last June's Explosion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMdXBqVliMA Learn more about Philae: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGORP2kAWF8 Hosted by: Caitlin Hofmeister ---------- Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scishow ---------- Dooblydoo thanks go to the following Patreon supporters -- we couldn't make SciShow without them! Shout out to Kevin Bealer, Justin Lentz, Mark Terrio-Cameron, Patrick Merrithew, Accalia Elementia, Fatima Iqbal, Benny, Kyle Anderson, Mike Frayn, Tim Curwick, Will and Sonja Marple, Philippe von Bergen, Chris Peters, Kathy Philip, Patrick D. Ashmore, Thomas J., charles george, and Bader AlGhamdi. ---------- Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/scishow ---------- Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet? Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scishow Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scishow Tumblr: http://scishow.tumblr.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/thescishow ---------- Sources: http://www.space.com/34029-elon-musk-seeks-help-solving-rocket-explosion.html http://www.space.com/33929-spacex-falcon-9-rocket-explodes-on-launch-pad.html http://www.space.com/33937-facebook-satellite-lost-in-spacex-rocket-explosion.html http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/news/a22779/one-week-later-the-spacex-explosion-remains-a-mystery/ http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/Rosetta_finale_set_for_30_September http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/Philae_found Image Links: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Falcon_9_first_stage_in_hangar;_upgraded_Merlin_engines_close-up_(24175842635).jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philae_lander_(transparent_bg).png https://www.flickr.com/photos/europeanspaceagency/15811486195/in/album-72157638315605535/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/europeanspaceagency/15159097484/in/photolist-pKs3ke-q1osP1-p6ykxJ-q1osQo-ponJc7-oSBTmm-jnbgsC-jndk1C-jnb1XK-jnbBVk-q6cZYX https://www.flickr.com/photos/europeanspaceagency/29185999280 https://www.flickr.com/photos/europeanspaceagency/11206647984/in/photolist-i5i11G-pKs3ke-i5i3oj-pcoYNi-q8Xo8V-xTg9u-i5i4MG-FkKJQR-pKqngr-p67aCV-q2V5gX-BzHG9-pQ6tTS-p679Ja-huyj1f-huzHqX-ntQYuU-nqP7FY-i5iy7e-pNfZDs-BzEQ3-BzEPZ-oUi4gx-nvVqsy-nCmU6b-nepc2q-pdSfPd-pdRure-q3NECg-q3Yhik-oTq4F6-q8gBbZ-pL7sV2-nm6tzt-pLBhfz-pLA1yC-pXsUfL-pXrEiC-qf1Pkk-pifGq8-qeQDDH-q3H97M-p36qMN-q7BKoY-pQ6tYm-pQ4qkz-Axjp8h-uqbALq-qfV66m-LtWtmw https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Comet_67P_on_19_September_2014_NavCam_mosaic.jpg

After orbiting a comet for more than two years, the European Space Agency's Rosetta probe will end its historic mission on Sept. 30

Rosetta was the first mission to orbit a comet and the first mission to land on a comet. Since its arrival at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on 6 August 2014, Rosetta’s data has also transformed cometary science. This film showcases some of the Rosetta’s scientific highlights before the orbiter shuts down operations and joins Philae on the surface of the comet on 30 September. This includes findings by the OSIRIS, VIRTIS, ROSINA and ALICE instruments. The mission results so far have made scientists rethink our picture of comets as dirty snowballs due to a lack of strong evidence for ice on the comet surface. Instead the ice is buried beneath the surface, covered by a layer of dust. This dust layer means that the comet is very dark, only reflecting a few per cent of the light that falls on it. Although the spacecraft mission will end, the data obtained by Rosetta will provide enough work to keep scientists busy for decades. More about the Rosetta mission: http://rosetta.esa.int

Thank you all for being a part of the journey! From #CometLanding to #GoodbyePhilae. http://www.dlr.de/en/rosetta

Europe's Rosetta spacecraft has finally spotted its tiny lander Philae, thought to be lost forever, stuck in a ditch on the surface of a comet hurtling through space. "THE SEARCH IS OVER! I've found @Philae2014!!" the European Space Agency (ESA) tweeted on behalf of Rosetta, orbiting comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at some 682 million kilometres from Earth.VIDEOGRAPHIC

The final resting place of Europe's comet landing craft Philae has been found. The small craft can be picked out in new images taken from the Rosetta probe in orbit at a height of 2.7 kilometres around the comet where Philae landed. *When was it lost?* Philae was dropped onto the comet - full name 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko - by Rosetta in November 2014. 67P is informally known as the "Space duck" because of its unusual shape. The landing was considered a feat of precision space… READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/09/05/philae-lostand-found What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

Images taken by Rosetta’s camera revealed Philae’s location on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The Philae lander descended onto Comet 67P on 12 November 2014. The images were taken by the OSIRIS narrow-angle camera on 2 September 2016, as Rosetta spacecraft came within 2.7 km of the surface. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/NavCam – CC BY-SA IGO 3.0 ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

It is just over two years since Rosetta made its rendezvous with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and now the end of the mission is in sight.  As the spacecraft and the comet head towards Jupiter, Rosetta is getting spectacularly close to the surface - up to three kilometres so far - allowing detailed views of the comet’s cliffs, boulders and plains, as well observing changes since the orbiter’s arrival. A ten tonne boulder, for instance, has moved by 140 metres, most likely due to activity during perihelion, when the comet was at its closest point to the Sun.  This video provides an overview of recent events in preparation for the mission’s end on 30 September, when Rosetta will spiral down to a landing site on the head of the duck shaped comet, performing science and taking images along the way.  Latest on Rosetta: http://rosetta.esa.int

Rosetta has imaged the smallest grains of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko’s dust yet, with its Micro-Imaging Dust Analysis System, MIDAS. The three-dimensional nature of five representative dust particles is visualised in this animation. It shows the complexity of the shapes of the dust particles, which are in turn made up of smaller and smaller dust grains. In general, the particles are either classified as small, tightly packed ‘compact’ grains or larger more porous, loosely arranged ‘fluffy’ grains. But, even though it may appear like we are flying over of a mountain range in this animation, these particles are extremely small: they range from a few tens of micrometres down to just a few hundred nanometres. Find out more: Imaging tiny comet dust in 3D - http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2016/08/31/imaging-tiny-comet-dust-in-3d/ Credit: ESA/Rosetta/IWF for the MIDAS team IWF/ESA/LATMOS/Universiteit Leiden/Universität Wien

Animation visualising Rosetta’s two-year journey around Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The animation begins on 31 July 2014, during Rosetta’s final approach to the comet after its ten-year journey through space. The spacecraft arrived at a distance of 100 km on 6 August whereupon it gradually approached the comet and entered initial mapping orbits that were needed to select a landing site for Philae. These observations also enabled the first comet science of the mission. The manoeuvres in the lead up to, during and after Philae’s deployment on 12 November are seen, before Rosetta settled into longer-term science orbits. In February and March 2015 the spacecraft made several flybys. One of the closest flybys triggered a ‘safe mode’ event that forced it to retreat temporarily until it was safe to gradually draw closer again. The comet’s increased activity in the lead up to and after perihelion in August 2015 meant that Rosetta remained well beyond 100 km distances for several months. In June 2015, contact was restored with Philae again – albeit temporary, with no permanent link able to be maintained, despite a series of dedicated trajectories flown by Rosetta for several weeks. Following perihelion, Rosetta performed a dayside far excursion some 1500 km from the comet, before re-approaching to closer orbits again, enabled by the reduction in the comet’s activity. In March–April 2016 Rosetta went on another far excursion, this time on the night side, followed by a close flyby and orbits dedicated to a range of science observations. The animation finishes at 9 August 2016, before the details of the end of mission orbits were known. A visualisation of the trajectories leading to the final descent to the surface of the comet on 30 September will be provided once available. The trajectory shown in this animation is created from real data, but the comet rotation is not. An arrow indicates the direction to the Sun as the camera viewpoint changes during the animation.

Rosetta describes the exciting discoveries she made during her second year at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, after the comet made its closest approach to the Sun along its orbit. She also tells us about her efforts to contact Philae, and starts counting down to her own mission finale. This video is available in the following languages: English https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxdDx8frN_Y Spanish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM-ZJBinuBk French https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFF1izh10PM Italian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aS1pgOU8Gs German https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne_PvPJZYL4

Rosetta has another three months of science to collect before its historic mission comes to an end. But the mission is not resting on its laurels. It has just broken a new record by flying an orbit 7 kms from the comet’s centre – just 5 kms from the surface – and there are more breathtaking manoeuvres to come. This film describes the orbits that Rosetta will undertake around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the changes in the amount of gas coming off the comet, and examines the importance of finding phosphorus and glycine - an amino acid that is essential for life. It also discusses the mission’s most recent discoveries of Xenon and Krypton, together with most of their isotopes. These noble gases were detected by the ROSINA instrument during the period when Rosetta was flying extremely close to the comet. More important science is expected to be released during the next few months. More about Rosetta: http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta

The European Commission's emergency management system Copernicus has been activated to deal with the floods in France, Belgium and Germany. The Copernicus project is funded by the EU and the European Space Agency (ESA). SERTIT is a company which manages the data recovered by the Copermicus system. "Satellite images have the advantage regarding aerials or images from drones that hez can cover bigger areas," Stéphanie Battiston, deputy head of SERTIT told Euronews. "For example, in France, we … READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/06/03/europe-s-copernicus-emergency-system-activated-to-manage-floods What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

German Chancellor Angela Merkel surprised the press on Wednesday when she abandoned a flagged major announcement on international space co-operation while visiting the "European Astronaut Centre":http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Astronauts/The_European_Astronaut_Centre in Cologne. Instead she voiced general support for international collaboration in space on manned missions. "Crewed spaceflight gives us the opportunity to explore specific issues in conditions of "zero gravi… READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/05/18/watch-this-space-as-merkel-pulls-out-of-esa-project-announcement What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

A Russian Soyuz rocket has blasted off from Kourou in French Guiana carrying a satellite aimed at increasing our understanding of the environment. "Sentinel-1B":https://sentinel.esa.int/web/sentinel/missions/sentinel-1/mission-objectives will be joining its identical twin Sentinal-1A, launched two years ago, collecting data for civil and humanitarian purposes. It is part of the "Copernicus Environmental Satellite Programme":http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Overv… READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/04/26/esa-successfully-launches-environment-data-satellite What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

* Venezuela's national assembly approves sweeping political amnesty * President refuses to let it pass *The news* Venezuela's opposition-controlled national assembly has passed an amnesty law it says will free people it says are political prisoners. The law would benefit high-profile opposition figures who are behind bars. Some have already been convicted while others still face trial. “Esa ley por aquí no pasará” https://t.co/7YMCAYQi12 Maduro anuncia que no promulgará la Ley de A… READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/03/30/venezuela-s-national-assembly-approves-plans-for-a-sweeping-political-amnesty What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

The ExoMars probe has blasted off on Monday (March 14) on board a Russian Proton rocket from Kazakhstan to the red planet. [no comment live] @esa Spacecraft lifts off from Baikonur cosmodrome #Exomars https://t.co/gyfKii677X— no comment TV (@nocomment) March 14, 2016 A joint mission between the Russian and European Space Agencies to look for evidence of past or current life on Mars. Scientists want to solve the mystery of methane on Mars. Living organisms produce methane here… READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2016/03/14/russian-esa-exomars-blasts-off-to-find-life-on-the-red-planet What are the top stories today? Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSyY1udCyYqBeDOz400FlseNGNqReKkFd euronews: the most watched news channel in Europe Subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=euronews euronews is available in 13 languages: https://www.youtube.com/user/euronewsnetwork/channels In English: Website: http://www.euronews.com/news Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euronews Twitter: http://twitter.com/euronews Google+: http://google.com/+euronews VKontakte: http://vk.com/en.euronews

The European Space Agency successfully launches a Proton-M rocket from the cosmodrome in Baikonur, headed for mars. The spacecraft is part of the Exomars mission which aims to find out if there is life on the red planet. (14 March 2016)