67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Comet

67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko — comet with 6.44-year orbit, 4.1 km nucleus. Rosetta/Philae landing site 2014 — most extensively studied comet. Bi-lobed contact binary (4.1×3.3 km), mass ~1.0×10¹³…

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Data

Nucleus size4.1 km
Orbital period6.44 years
Perihelion1.243 AU
Aphelion5.684 AU
Eccentricity0.6405
Discovered1969
Next perihelion2021-Nov-02
CompositionH2O ice, CO2 ice, H2S, NH3, Organic molecules (glycine), Dust

Details

Rosetta/Philae landing site 2014 — most extensively studied comet. Bi-lobed contact binary (4.1×3.3 km), mass ~1.0×10¹³ kg, density 0.533 g/cm³ (highly porous rubble pile). Confirmed glycine (simplest amino acid) and phosphorus — key prebiotic molecules. Water D/H ratio ~3× Earth VSMOW. CO₂/H₂O ratio ~0.11, with significant H₂S, NH₃. 67P's accessible orbit (q=1.24 AU, low inclination 7°) makes it the most feasible ISRU comet target. Potential water extraction: estimated 10⁹ kg accessible ice. Perihelion reachable with ΔV ~8 km/s from LEO — viable for future mining missions.

Sources / 数据来源

JPL Small-Body Database / IAU Minor Planet Center

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