Rosetta: From Ancient Egypt to a Comet

An introduction to Rosetta - both the stone and the European Space Agency mission - and to the life's work of Colin Pillinger, who inspired the connection.

Just as the Rosetta Stone and the Philae Obelisk became the key to interpreting hieroglyphs and understanding ancient Egyptian civilisation, the European Space Agency’s Rosetta probe and its Philae lander are key to furthering our understanding of the formation of our solar system, and the origins of life. The Philae lander made the first ever soft landing on a comet, opening a new chapter in Solar System exploration.

Professor Ian Wright, Principal Investigator for the Ptolemy instrument of the Philae lander, is perfectly placed to offer this short introduction to the two.