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Comet Interceptor
ESA · JAXA · Launch: 2028–2029 (target)
Will wait in space for a pristine comet — possibly from outside our Solar System — then fly past it with three probes.
Objective: Study a comet entering the inner Solar System for the first time.
Launch with ARIEL
2029
Target date · may change
Mission details
- Rocket & spacecraft
- Ariane 6 (shared with ARIEL)
- Destination
- Sun–Earth L2 parking, then a comet
- Waits in space until a suitable new comet is discovered.
- Splits into three spacecraft to view the comet from different angles.
Milestones
0 of 1 reachedLaunch
2029Provisional
Future dates are agency targets, not confirmed schedules.
Curated dataset
Official source: ESA Comet Interceptor →