If you're looking for a space event to track this year, look into the Rosetta Comet Probe, which was launched in 2004 from Europe.
Rosetta was put into hibernation about 31 months ago after reaching its designated destination about 500 miles away from Earth. So it's still in our solar system.
Before Rosetta was put into hibernation the European Space Agency set an alarm clock that will wake it up in 2014. On Monday 20 January 2014, Rosetta successfully answered to that wake up call. Now tasks ahead for Rosetta will be warming up its star tracker sensors so that it can get co-ordinates for positioning itself. Then the probe will fire its retros to adjust its position so that its solar arrays can face the sun which will recharge its batteries.
Rosetta is scheduled to meet comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in November this year and will be the first comet probe to enter an orbit around the comet, instead of just doing a fly by. Rosetta also carries a space craft, called philae, which will land on the comet to collect data.
This space mission is the first of its kind and is a must follow event for everyone.
Rosetta was put into hibernation about 31 months ago after reaching its designated destination about 500 miles away from Earth. So it's still in our solar system.
Before Rosetta was put into hibernation the European Space Agency set an alarm clock that will wake it up in 2014. On Monday 20 January 2014, Rosetta successfully answered to that wake up call. Now tasks ahead for Rosetta will be warming up its star tracker sensors so that it can get co-ordinates for positioning itself. Then the probe will fire its retros to adjust its position so that its solar arrays can face the sun which will recharge its batteries.
Rosetta is scheduled to meet comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in November this year and will be the first comet probe to enter an orbit around the comet, instead of just doing a fly by. Rosetta also carries a space craft, called philae, which will land on the comet to collect data.
This space mission is the first of its kind and is a must follow event for everyone.