Comet Interceptor
3D render of the Comet Interceptor spacecraft | |
| Mission type | Comet flyby |
|---|---|
| Operator | ESA / JAXA |
| Website | www |
| Mission duration | ≈ 6 years |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Comet Interceptor |
| Launch mass | ~850 kg (1,870 lb). |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 2028–2029 (planned) |
| Rocket | Ariane 62 |
| Launch site | Kourou ELA-4 |
| Contractor | Arianespace |
| Flyby of a long-period comet yet to be selected | |
Comet Interceptor is a robotic spacecraft mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA) planned for launch sometime between August 2028 and July 2029. The spacecraft will be placed at the Sun-Earth L2 point and wait for up to three years for a long-period comet to fly by at a reachable trajectory and speed. The mission's primary science goal is "to characterise a dynamically-new comet including its surface composition, shape, structure, and the composition of its gas coma."