European Space Agency reveals comet’s dimensions for 3D printing enthusiasts

European Space Agency reveals comet’s dimensions for 3D printing enthusiasts

The European Space Agency released 67P's exact dimensions today, allowing enthusiasts to make their own 3D printed models of the comet.

If you’re ever really wanted a replica of 67P/Churyumov-Gersimenko, the comet that the European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission is planning to land on, you can now create one with a 3D printer. 

The ESA recently released the comet’s exact dimensions to the public, enabling space enthusiasts to 3D print their own copies. The comet has a lumpy, funny-looking shape, but it would be a great coffee table centerpiece for scientists that would definitely get the conversation started.

The ESA’s Rosetta mission, which began in March 2004, marks the closest that any man-made spacecraft has come to a comet. Cameras aboard the Rosetta craft were able to take detailed photos that allowed the ESA to determine the comet’s precise dimensions.

The ESA is currently planning for Rosetta to land a craft on a spot called “Site J,” which appears to have relatively smoother terrain than the rest of the rocky comet. The mission is set to take place on November 12, with success confirmed by 5 a.m. EST.

Rosetta will attempt to deploy Philae, a robotic probe, onto the surface of 67P. This is difficult because of the comet’s fast speeds; if Philae hits at the wrong angle, it won’t be able to get a proper grip on the comet’s surface and bounce back off into outer space.

Even if the ESA is unable to land a robotic probe on Site J, the Rosetta mission has given scientists a wealth of previously unknown information about comets. If the mission is successful, it will be the first time in history that anyone has landed an object on a comet.

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