In Images: Rosetta Spacecraft's Last Comet Photos During Crash-Landing

Rosetta took this final photo of Comet 67P just before it softly crashed onto the comet’s surface on Sept. 30.

Rosetta captured this sequence of images during its descent to the surface of Comet 67P on Sept. 30.

Rosetta’s mission control room in Darmstadt, Germany burst into cheer after receiving confirmation that the Rosetta spacecraft had successfully crash landed.

When Rosetta’s mission control center in Darmstadt, Germany received confirmation of Rosetta’s successful crash landing, the room was filled with cheers and tears as colleagues hugged one another.

A crowd of scientists and guests watching Rosetta’s crash landing from an auditorium at the European Space Operations Center in Darmstadt, Germany goes wild with cheer at ESA’s Rosetta mission completes its grand finale.

This photo was taken at ESA’s ESOC mission control center at 11:20 a.m. EDT (15:20 GMT) on Sept. 29, when there just 20 hours left in Rosetta’s flight operations.

Rosetta’s crash site is not too far from Philae’s first and final touchdown sites after its bumpy landing in 2014. All three sites are on the smaller of Comet 67P’s two lobes.

Rosetta’s OSIRIS narrow-angle camera captured this image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at 10:14 GMT from an altitude of about 0.75 miles (1.2 km) during the spacecraft’s final descent on Sept. 30.

Rosetta’s OSIRIS wide-angle camera image taken at 7:48 a.m. EDT (11:49 GMT) on Sept. 29, when the spacecraft was 14.2 miles (22.9 km) from Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

Rosetta’s OSIRIS narrow-angle camera captured this image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at 08:18 GMT from an altitude of about 5.8 km during the spacecraft’s final descent on 30 September.

Rosetta’s OSIRIS narrow-angle camera captured this image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at 06:53 GMT from an altitude of about 5.5 miles (8.9 km)during the spacecraft’s final descent on Sept. 30.

Rosetta’s OSIRIS narrow-angle camera captured this image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at 05:25 GMT from an altitude of about 7.3 miles (11.7 km) during the spacecraft’s final descent on Sept. 30.

Rosetta’s OSIRIS wide-angle camera captured this image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at 02:17 GMT from an altitude of about 9.8 miles (15.5 km) above the surface during the spacecraft’s final descent on Sept. 30.

Rosetta’s OSIRIS narrow-angle camera captured this image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from an altitude of about 10 miles (16 km) above the surface during the spacecraft’s final descent on Sept. 29 at 9:20 p.m. EDT (Sept. 30 at 01:20 GMT).

NavCam took this photo on Sept. 29 at 8:59 p.m. EDT (Sept. 30 at 00:59 GMT), when Rosetta was 10.8 miles (17.4 km) from the center of the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

NavCam took this photo on Sept. 30 when Rosetta was 11.2 miles (18.1 km) from the center of the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

NavCam took this photo on Sept. 29 when Rosetta was 11.2 miles (18.7 km) from the center of the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

NavCam took this photo on Sept. 29 when Rosetta was 12 miles (19.4 km) from the center of the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Rosetta’s NavCam took this photo on Sept. 29 at 6:53 p.m. EDT (22:53 GMT), when Rosetta was 12.4 miles (20 km) from the center of the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Rosetta’s OSIRIS narrow-angle camera captured this image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at 1:49 p.m. EDT (17:49 GMT) on Sept. 29 when the spacecraft was 14.2 miles (22.8 km) from the surface.