Comet Interceptor
Comet Interceptor is an ESA mission with JAXA participation designed to examine a relatively pristine comet, potentially an interstellar object, whose identity is not yet selected. A main spacecraft and two probes will wait together near Sun-Earth L2, then travel to a suitable target and separate for simultaneous measurements from three viewpoints. Unlike repeatedly heated short-period comets visited by earlier missions, the target should preserve less-altered material from its formation. ESA currently describes a launch window spanning late 2028 or early 2029.
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Identity
- Aliases
- Comet Interceptor MissionESA Comet Interceptor
- Name
- Comet Interceptor
- Status
- planned
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- Description
- Comet Interceptor is an ESA mission with JAXA participation designed to examine a relatively pristine comet, potentially an interstellar object, whose identity is not yet selected. A main spacecraft and two probes will wait together near Sun-Earth L2, then travel to a suitable target and separate for simultaneous measurements from three viewpoints. Unlike repeatedly heated short-period comets visited by earlier missions, the target should preserve less-altered material from its formation. ESA currently describes a launch window spanning late 2028 or early 2029.
- Destination
- Sun–Earth L2 parking orbit (approximately 1.5 million km behind Earth), then a flyby of a pristine comet or interstellar object
- Programs
- Vehicle Families
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 13, 2026 at 16:48:30 UTC
- Updated Time
- October 17, 2026 at 12:06:50 UTC
Other
- Affiliations
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles
- -