1 day / second
0.5 AU
Giotto
Spacecraft
A groundbreaking European spacecraft that performed the first-ever close flyby of Halley's Comet in 1986, capturing detailed images of its nucleus despite being damaged by dust impacts during the encounter.
Key Facts
organization | ESA |
orbital regime | Inner System |
learn more | Wikipedia |
launched | 1985-07-02 |
defunct | 1992-07-23 |
launch mass | 960 kg |
power | 196 watts |
Mission Timeline
Launched
July 2, 1985 at 11:23 UTC
Halley's Comet (1P/Halley)
Flyby
The spacecraft Giotto encountered Halley's Comet on March 13, 1986, coming within 596 kilometers of the nucleus and capturing the first detailed photographs of a comet's core despite sustaining damage from dust impacts.
26P/Grigg–Skjellerup
Flyby
Giotto encountered comet Grigg-Skjellerup on July 10, 1992, passing within 200 kilometers of its nucleus and becoming the first spacecraft to visit two comets, having previously encountered Halley's Comet in 1986.
Defunct
July 23, 1992 at 00:00 UTC
After completing its successful flybys of Halley's Comet in 1986 and Comet Grigg-Skjellerup in 1992, Giotto was deactivated in space with its final signal received at 04:00 UTC on July 23, 1992.
