One of the most difficult tasks to accomplish in outer space is landing on a comet. In all attempts made so far have not been successful. The space probe has either missed the comet altogether by misjudging the speed of the comet or crashed right into the surface of the comet and disintegrated.

Now a European spacecraft is hoping to land on a comet that it has been tracking for the last ten years. The craft called Rosetta was launched in 2004 and is waiting for the Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet. It has been in hibernation for the last two years after having positioned itself optimally to make the rendezvous.

On 20 January 2014 it will awaken and begin navigational measures to land on a two-and-a-half-mile-wide ball of ice and dust. All the while the comet will be continuing on its journey towards the sun and Rosetta will continue alongside mapping the surface of the comet.  Eventually by August it will pick the spot where it is to send its probe named Philae.

Philae will eventually, if all goes well, land on the Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet in November 2014. The entire European space community is waiting for the day when this extensive science project finally is completed. Here’s wishing them all the success.