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> Giotto meets Halley's comet -Artwork

Giotto meets Halley's comet -Artwork

author: ESA/Novapix

reference: e-son30-00003

Image Size 300 DPI: 38 * 24 cm

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.

Keywords for this photo:

1986 - COMET - GIOTTO - HALLEY - ILLUSTRATION - SPACE - SPACECRAFT - SPACEPROBE -