The European Space Agency has released the first picture taken by its Philae probe on the surface of a comet.

Europe’s first spacecraft to the moon ended its three-year mission today by crashing into the lunar surface in a volcanic plane called the Lake of Excellence, to a round of applause in the mission control room.

EUROPE’S first mission to the moon is due to crash- land in a cloud of dust and rock Sunday, ending a three-year voyage that gathered data about the lunar surface and tested a new engine intended to propel future spacecraft to Mercury and other planets.

Scientists were counting down today for the blast off of a Russian booster rocket carrying a European-built probe aimed at exploring the hot, dense atmosphere around Venus.

The European Space Agency’s ambitious mission to chase down a comet and land a probe on its surface was due to blast off today.