On March 2, 2004, the Rosetta-Philae spacecraft launched from French Guiana, with the goal of rendezvousing with a comet to learn more about the early solar system. The European Space Agency mission would need 10 years, three gravity assist flybys of Earth, and one gravity assist from Mars to get the spacecraft to its target. Continue reading "March 2, 2004: Rosetta launches" The post March 2, 2004: Rosetta launches appeared first on Astronomy Magazine .