Rosetta space craft reaches comet after 10-year voyage

Agency says shuttle, with Italian help, first to orbit a comet

(ANSA) - Rome, August 6 - After a 10-year journey through the Solar System, the Rosetta space craft has become the first ever to orbit a comet, the European Space Agency said Wednesday. The Rosetta finally caught up with the comet, officially known as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, after crossing millions of kilometres of space, bouncing between Earth and Mars and dodging asteroids.

Reaching the comet is a milestone for European space exploration, in which Italy has invested heavily through the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and with industry. "It (is) a particularly important moment in the history of the exploration of the universe, we expect a lot of information on the formation of our Solar System," from the Rosetta's voyage, said Roberto Battiston, president of the ASI.