一艘欧洲无人飞船将与彗星会合 European Satellite to Make Historic Rendezvous with Comet

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星期三,10年来一直在太阳系追踪一颗彗星的空间探测器终于将飞抵具有历史意义的目的地。

欧洲太空署的罗塞塔号无人飞船将与67P/楚留莫夫-格拉希门克彗星交会。经过最后一系列运行后,罗塞塔号无人飞船将进入距离这颗彗星约100公里的轨道。如果运作成功,造价17亿美元的罗塞塔号将成为第一个与彗星会合的空间探测器。

罗塞塔号进入轨道后,将在未来一年中伴随67P彗星,并在这颗彗星飞往太阳途中进行观测。这次使命的最重要时刻将在十一月,届时罗塞塔号将发射一个小型探测器,在67P彗星表面着陆。这将是有史以来的第一次。

A space probe that has been racing across the solar system to catch up with a comet for a decade will finally reach its historic destination Wednesday.

The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft will rendezvous with the Comet 67P/Churymov-Gerasimenko after a final set of maneuvers that will place it in an orbit about 100 kilometers above the comet's surface.  If successful, the $1.7 billion Rosetta will become the first spacecraft to rendezvous with a comet.  

Once it reaches orbit, Rosetta will escort Comet 67P for the next year and observe it as it heads towards the sun.  The highlight of the mission will come in November, when Rosetta will release a small probe that will land on Comet 67P -- the first ever spacecraft to accomplish such a feat.