WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2014 — The following statement is from John Grunsfeld, astronaut and associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, about the successful comet landing by the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft:
The Rosetta spacecraft “woke up” after a record 957 days of hibernation.
“We congratulate ESA on their successful landing on a comet today. This achievement represents a breakthrough moment in the exploration of our solar system and a milestone for international cooperation. We are proud to be a part of this historic day and look forward to receiving valuable data from the three NASA instruments on board Rosetta that will map the comet’s nucleus and examine it for signs of water.
“The data collected by Rosetta will provide the scientific community, and the world, with a treasure-trove of data. Small bodies in our solar system like comets and asteroids help us understand how the solar system formed and provide opportunities to advance exploration. We look forward to building on Rosetta’s success exploring our solar system through our studies of near earth asteroids and NASA’s upcoming asteroid sample return mission OSIRIS-REx. It’s a great day for space exploration.”
For information about NASA’s role in the Rosetta mission, visit:
http://rosetta.jpl.nasa.gov/
To learn more about NASA’s asteroid sample return mission, OSIRIS-Rex, visit:
http://science.nasa.gov/missions/osiris-rex/