The probe will orbit and study the giant ball of dust and ice as it hurtles toward the sun before attempting to drop a lander onto the comet in the coming months. Europe's unmanned probe Rosetta takes off from Kourou, French Guiana, after a series of delays, including an abandoned January 2003 launch window because of a rocket problem. European Space Agency's mission control breaks out in applause after the end of 15 tense minutes of radio silence as the craft passes behind the Red Planet. The spacecraft loses its radio signal for 90 minutes as planned during the flyby of the Steins asteroid, also known as Asteroid 2867.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 1 hour ago.
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