Science Channel to Broadcast Live as the Rosetta Probe Crashes into a Comet
Akin to a science fiction blockbuster, the Rosetta spacecraft has traveled over four billion miles to try and achieve what no other ship has ever done: catch a comet. In 2014 Rosetta caught up with its quarry and now, only 62 miles apart and at the end of its mission, Rosetta will collide comet 67P as it enters our inner solar system. The final stages of the mission will be showcased in the Science Channel documentary “Death on a Comet: The Rosetta Mission.”
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Rosetta’s first contact with comet 67P was broadcast on the Science Channel’s “Landing on a Comet: Rosetta Mission.” In 2014, the Philae probe sent to land on the comet was lost, but recently discovered, and its reemergence has provided scientists with a wealth of information about comets.
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“Death on a Comet: The Rosetta Mission,” hosted by science journalist Dr. Dan Riskin, will combine commentary by leading scientists and authors, as well as fantastic 3D renderings of the spacecraft’s journey, to reveal what the Philae probe discovered during its two years in space. Just some of the information includes what the comet smells like, the discovery of “heavy water” on its surface, and a new understanding of what causes the comet tail to form. With this combined information, scientists believe they may have a deeper understanding of the formation of our solar system and the evolution of life on Earth.
“Death on a Comet: The Rosetta Mission” premieres September 30 at 10pm this Friday. Science Channel will also be the only network to live broadcast the crash of the spacecraft this Friday at 7:20am ET. Watch the exclusive promo for this decade-long mission below.
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