The Rosetta comet probe.

[Sandy Buttcheeks]

Project start 1996, travel distance 6 billion km, cost £1.4 billion, all to bounce a remote control toy on a lump of rock and ice.

Why?

I'm sure the elderly, freezing in houses they cannot afford to heat, and the impoverished trying to feed their families, gave it a resounding thumbs up.

[Redundant]

My wife sent me one of the first pictures but I don't know how to post pictures, I have included it as an attachment to this reply in the shallow hope this might achieve something.   As for the why I can't really help, except to say I am glad they tried, nothing remains constant and if humans aren't moving forward...they're invading the Ukraine whilst pretending they're not.   If it had been more successful something might have been discovered that might have benefited future generations of elderly or impoverished, which actually contradicts my earlier comment about nothing remaining constant, neglect of those less well off has always been part of the human condition.

[Malc]

I'm with Sandy. There isn't a single thing you can discover with a 40 billion spacecraft that you couldn't with a 4 billion telescope.

[Roger Kettle]

...and, apparently, the batteries for its camera are flat.

[Sandy Buttcheeks]

...and, apparently, the batteries for its camera are flat.

That's what happens when you send a probe 6 billion kms, with only a 5.99 billion km extension lead. There faces must have been a picture as they counted down its landing, and then the plug flew out of mission control's wall.

It's probably suffering whiplash.

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

I'm with Sandy. There isn't a single thing you can discover with a 40 billion spacecraft that you couldn't with a 4 billion telescope.

And I'm with Redundant - you had to be there...

[Malc]

Apparently it couldn't get the spot in the sun because the German probe had landed ten minutes earlier and hogged it.

[Sandy Buttcheeks]