How a spacecraft survived a decade of deep-space hibernation to reach its target

Space · Published 8 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 2011, the Rosetta spacecraft drifted into a frozen slumber nearly 800 million kilometres from the Sun. To survive the darkness, it had to shut down almost everything, waiting years for the warmth of the Sun to wake it up for a historic encounter.

Launched in March 2004, the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission was designed for a marathon, not a sprint. Its objective was to chase down Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, a complex, double-lobed object. The journey required navigating the solar system for a decade, including three flybys of Earth and a pass by Mars, alongside imaging the asteroids Steins and Lutetia. The mission's trajectory also included close encounters with the asteroids Steins and Lutetia. These observations were captured using the OSIRIS camera, which also provided high-resolution imagery of the comet itself.

The mission faced a critical period of vulnerability in June 2011. As the spacecraft cruised near the orbit of Jupiter, it reached a distance of approximately 800 million kilometres from the Sun. At this range, the solar panels could no longer generate sufficient energy to power all onboard systems. Consequently, mission controllers placed Rosetta into deep-space hibernation, a state of suspended animation that lasted until 20 January 2014, when the spacecraft finally woke up to continue its approach. This period of dormancy was a calculated necessity to preserve the spacecraft's integrity. It ensured that the mission could eventually resume its path toward the comet's orbit.

Upon waking, the mission moved into its most intense phase. After the first close-up views in March 2014, the spacecraft began studying the comet's activity and its unique shape. By August 2014, Rosetta had successfully reached the comet, marking the first time a space mission had orbited a comet and attempted a soft landing. This period of close study allowed scientists to select a landing site for the Philae lander, specifically a location on the smaller lobe named Agilkia, after an island on the Nile. The landing sequence was meticulously planned, with the Philae lander scheduled for release on 12 November. Scientists anticipated the touchdown would occur roughly seven hours after its separation from the main craft.

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