Giotto, spacecraft to Halley's Comet, launched 1985

European Space Agency's Giotto spacecraft, launched July 2, 1985, visited Halley's Comet in March 1986. It followed the Soviet Union's Vega 1 and Vega 2.  Giotto passed the comet successfully despite being hit by small particles.  One collision sent the spacecraft spinning off its stabilized axis.  The antenna was not pointed toward earth and the dust shield was not in a position to protect its instruments.  After 32 minutes, Giotto stabilized itself and continued gathering data.

Another collision destroyed the multi-color camera, but after it took close-up pictures of the nucleus.  It was turned off March 15, 1986.

ESA woke up Giotto July 2, 1990 for a flyby of Comet Grigg-Skjellerup on July 10.  Giotto was again switched off.

The spacecraft is named after Italian Renaissance painter Giotto di Bondone, who witnessed Halley's Comet in 1301 and depicted it as the star of Bethlehem in his painting Adoration of the Magi.