After 10 years in space, the Rosetta spacecraft has achieved its biggest accomplishment yet.

Scientists and spectators at ESA's mission control in Darmstadt, Germany, cheered Wednesday after the spacecraft successfully completed its final thrust to swing alongside comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

ESA chief Jean-Jacques Dordain says the probe's rendezvous with 67P is an important milestone in Rosetta's life. It isthe first time any spacecraft has orbited a comet, according to Space.com.

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Pictured is comet 67P/C-G, as seen by the Rosetta spacecraft.

(European Space Agency)

Matching Rosetta's speed with the comet's velocity required 10 orbit-correction maneuvers, according to the ESA. These speed-reduction burns began in May, and there was one more short recalibration on Wednesday to prepare the spacecraft for its orbit.

Even before Rosetta got within striking distance of the comet, the spacecraft sent back interesting data. On Sunday, from a distance of 186 miles, its navigation camera snapped an image of the comet that was the clearest view scientists have ever seen of 67P/C-G, according to a Yahoo.com report.

Rosetta also took the comet's temperature and found it's too hot to be completely covered in ice, but ESA scientists believe there are still patches of ice on the surface of 67P/C-G, the report adds.

In November, Rosettawill drop a small lander known asPhilaeonto the comet, the Christian Science Monitor reports.Philaewill be used to perform studies and conduct experiments, the report adds, and Rosetta will continue to track the comet as it speeds around the sun.

Rosetta launched on March 2, 2004, according to SPACE.com.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

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