Comet probe on cusp of history

A spacecraft is on course to make history by landing the first probe on a comet, but first it must end its two-year hibernation. Rosetta, operated by the European Space Agency, has been dormant since Jul 2011 and its alarm clock is set for 10am GMT on Jan 20.

It blasted off more than 10 years ago, and the input of two Irish companies is critical to it achieving its objective of landing on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

Captec in Malahide, Dublin, developed the support system software that allows Rosetta communicate with Philae, the comet lander, while Space Technology Ireland at Maynooth University built the hardware unit that will handle data returning from the lander.