images

Giotto meets Halley's comet -Artwork

by

ESA/Novapix

Reference

e-son30-00003

Date

2006-11-25

ESA's first deep space mission, Giotto, a 960-kg spacecraft, was launched from Kourou, French Guiana on July 2, 1985, atop an Ariane 1. In March 1986, Giotto was the last probe to approach the comet 1P/Halley and the only one to attempt a close flyby of its nucleus, an all-time first for a man-made spacecraft. The closest approach occurred at 00:03:02 UT on March 14, when Giotto, protected by its dust shield, came within 596 km of Halley's nucleus.