The three-tonne spacecraft will first be inserted into a parking orbit, before being sent on its way towards the outer Solar System.

Rosetta’s deep space odyssey will comprise lengthy periods of inactivity, punctuated by relatively short spells of intense activity – the encounters with Mars, Earth and two asteroids. Ensuring that the spacecraft survives the hazards of travelling through deep space for more than 10 years is therefore one of the great challenges of the Rosetta mission.