Editing Near-Earth object (section)

=== Missions to NECs ===
[[File:67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko - Rosetta (32755885495).png|thumb|Nucleus of comet [[67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko]] as seen by ESA's ''[[Rosetta (spacecraft)|Rosetta]]'' probe]]

The first near-Earth comet visited by a space probe was [[21P/Giacobini–Zinner]] in 1985, when the NASA/ESA probe ''[[International Cometary Explorer]]'' (''ICE'') passed through its coma. In March 1986, ICE, along with [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] probes ''[[Vega 1]]'' and ''[[Vega 2]]'', [[Institute of Space and Astronautical Science|ISAS]] probes ''[[Sakigake]]'' and ''[[Suisei (spacecraft)|Suisei]]'' and ESA probe ''[[Giotto (spacecraft)|Giotto]]'' flew by the nucleus of Halley's Comet. In 1992, ''Giotto'' also visited another NEC, [[26P/Grigg–Skjellerup]].<ref name="TaskForceReport"/>

In November 2010, after completing its primary mission to non-near-Earth comet [[Tempel 1]], the NASA probe ''[[Deep Impact (spacecraft)|Deep Impact]]'' flew by the near-Earth comet [[103P/Hartley]].<ref name="DeepImpactHartley">{{Cite news |title=Mr. Hartley's Amazing Comet |first=Kelly |last=Beatty |date=November 4, 2010 |work=[[Sky & Telescope]] |url=https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/mr-hartleys-amazing-comet/ |access-date=January 2, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020025244/https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/mr-hartleys-amazing-comet/ |archive-date=October 20, 2023}}</ref>

In August 2014, ESA probe ''Rosetta'' began orbiting near-Earth comet [[67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko]], while its lander ''[[Philae (spacecraft)|Philae]]'' landed on its surface in November 2014. After the end of its mission, Rosetta was crashed into the comet's surface in 2016.<ref name="newsci20160930">{{cite news |first=Jacob |last=Aron |title=Rosetta lands on 67P in grand finale to two year comet mission |date=September 30, 2016 |work=[[New Scientist]] |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2107585-rosetta-lands-on-67p-in-grand-finale-to-two-year-comet-mission/ |access-date=January 2, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203014854/https://www.newscientist.com/article/2107585-rosetta-lands-on-67p-in-grand-finale-to-two-year-comet-mission/ |archive-date=December 3, 2024}}</ref>
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