Small-body mission · ESA

Giotto

ESA's first deep-space mission — it flew within about 600 km of the nucleus of Halley's Comet in 1986, returning the first close-up images of a comet's nucleus. It survived the high-speed dust encounter and went on to fly past a second comet, Grigg–Skjellerup.

CompletedFlyby Mission

This is the small-body-missions view of Giotto. See its main mission page for the full profile.

Targets & sample

Target bodies:Halley's Comet

Also:Comet 1P/Halley (1986) and comet 26P/Grigg–Skjellerup (1992)

Mission & science

Goals: Return close-up images and in-situ measurements of the nucleus of Halley's Comet.
Engineering milestones: First close-up images of a comet nucleus (1986); part of the international Halley Armada.
Science discoveries: Halley's nucleus is a dark, peanut-shaped body; confirmed comets as 'dirty snowballs'.
Outcome: Complete success; ESA's first interplanetary mission.

Knowledge connections

VisitedHalley's Comet
VisitedGrigg–Skjellerup
Member of groupFlyby Mission
Launched byAriane 1
Operated byESA
VisitedHalley's Comet

Sources

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

ESAEuropean Space Agency
European missions, observatories, and space science imagery.

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