ESA - Space Exploration: Rosetta discovers water on comet 67p like nothing on Earth

The Rosetta spacecraft has detected water coming off comet 67P, the rubber duck-shaped lump of ice and dust that it placed the Philae robotic lander on last month.

The presence of water is not a surprise, but what has wrong-footed researchers is the makeup of the water, which is nothing like that seen on Earth.

Measurements from Rosetta’s Rosina instrument found that water on comet 67P /Churyumov-Gerasimenko contains about three times more deuterium – a heavy form of hydrogen – than water on Earth.

The discovery seems to overturn the theory that Earth got its water, and so its ability to harbour life, from water-bearing comets that slammed into the planet during its early history.

Comet 67P is thought to have come from what is called the Kuiper belt, a broad band of frozen bodies that begins beyond the orbit of Neptune. The main asteroid belt contains more rocky objects that circle the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Read more: Rosetta discovers water on comet 67p like nothing on Earth | Science | The Guardian

European Space Research: ESA prepares to wake comet hunting Rosetta spacecraft - by Shane McGlaun

The European Space Agency (ESA) is getting ready to wake up its comet hunting spacecraft called Rosetta. Rosetta has been in hibernation for 31 months as it prepared for its main mission. Rosetta launched in 2004 and has spent its time this far zipping around the Sun, gaining speed.

Rosetta is expected to reach its target comet in August of 2014. In November of 2014, Rosetta will put its Philae lander onto the surface of the comet. The ESA says that the internal alarm clock for the Rosetta spacecraft is set for 10:00 GMT on January 20, 2014.

Several hours after the spacecraft wakes up and warms up, it should establish contact with the Earth. 

Read more: ESA prepares to wake comet hunting Rosetta spacecraft - SlashGear