Comet chasing and Animal AI: News from the College

Here's a batch of fresh news and announcements from across Imperial. From Imperial tech on board a comet-chasing spacecraft, to an AI competition inspired by the animal kingdom, here is some quick-read news from across the College. Chasing comets. The European Space Agency has selected a comet-intercepting mission for launch in 2028 with Imperial kit on board. 'Comet Interceptor' is a fast-class mission, meaning it has a much shorter time between selection and implementation than most missions. To help with the short turnaround, the mission will piggyback on a larger mission to Earth orbit. Once there, the mission, which consists of three smaller spacecraft, will wait until a 'pristine' comet enters the inner solar system for the first time.