The line between comet and asteroid is no longer clearly drawn. The old rules probably don't apply.

The field of planetary science is currently enjoying an intense period of readjustment and discovery.

Comets are thought to be icy dirtballs made up of exotic ices, dust, and rock particles,

If you wish to study what the solar system is made of you study comets.

The beauty of comets is that they are important to us. We probably would not be here were it not for comets. Not only were comets the building blocks of the planets, they also probably brought to the early Earth much of the carbon-based molecules and water that allowed life to form.

The beauty of this mission is that we don't know what to expect. But whatever happens, we'll learn something.

It was assumed that, after the Late Heavy Bombardment let up, comet impacts ? which were then 1,000 times more numerous than today ? delivered Earth's water.

It seems MINERVA was ready to do its part if only given the chance.

The mission is to understand what a comet is made of and how it's put together.

Ten years ago, we would have been blissfully ignorant.