Dawlish News
European space probe heads for comet
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DARMSTADT, Germany — A European rocket blasted off Tuesday to launch a pioneering 10-year journey to land a probe on a comet and search for clues to the solar system's origins.
The Rosetta lander soared into the skies above South America aboard an Ariane-5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana, the third attempt after two launches last week were scrubbed.
After a final countdown in French, mission controllers in Darmstadt, Germany, outside Frankfurt peered quietly but intently into their monitors. Scientists and staff held off celebrating until the spacecraft's critical departure from the Earth's orbit later Tuesday but just getting off the pad was a relief.
