ESA Plans Mission to Intercept a ‘Pristine’ Comet

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Comet 67P was thoroughly explored over two years. Now, astronomers are hunting an even fresher catch. (Credit: ESA/Rosetta/NavCam)

The European Space Agency has selected a new mission that aims to investigate a wholly pristine comet, or one that has never visited the sun.

Because these objects are hard to spot until they’re already close to the sun, the idea is that the mission would launch without a specific target. Called Comet Interceptor, the mission would launch to a stable point in

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