Planned arrival at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Planned arrival at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Comets are considered to be witnesses to the formation of the Solar System. The questions as to whether the comet's surface is actually in a kind of 'original state' and whether comets harbour prebiotic molecules and water – making it likely that they could have played a role in the origin of life on Earth – are expected to be answered with the help of the Rosetta mission. (Frame from 'Chasing A Comet – The Rosetta Mission'.)