Is It Possible to Explore Comets with Today's Technology?

[EskWIRED]

The popular press has been alive lately with stories of asteroid interception and even asteroid recovery.

Has there been any thoughts of a spacecraft closely approaching a comet? How big are they? How fast do they travel? Is it remotely possible using existing technology? Could we land on one?

 

[SteamKing]

Been there, done that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giotto_mission

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_( spacecraft )

N.B.: The Rosetta mission is currently ongoing. It has already flown by a couple of asteroids and is currently set to encounter a comet sometime in the first half of 2014.