Rosetta comet landing mission may help explain origin of water on Earth

Scientists have revealed that NASA's Rosetta satellite, which is poised to make space science history when it launches its Philae lander onto the surface of the ancient comet, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, may explain the origin of water on Earth.

It will then begin to analyse the ice, organic material and chemicals present in the comet's nucleus - and later, as it gets closer to the Sun and begins to heat up - the emissions of gases such as water and carbon dioxide. It is the first time that scientists will have had the opportunity to directly analyse the composition of a comet from its surface.

Planetary scientist Professor Stanley Cowley, of the University of Leicester's Department of Physics and Astronomy, said that the Philae lander is the first attempt to land a spacecraft on the surface of a comet nucleus. The main new thing here is the ability to directly sample the surface material using a 9-inch drill, and to analyse that material using a series of experiments looking at the chemicals present.

Cowley added that the comet material is also known to contain simple organic molecules which may also have seeded Earth with the material from which life emerged.