Launched in 2004, the Rosetta spacecraft of the European Space Agency (ESA) will continue its space exploration mission for 9 more months. According to the agency, Rosetta's comet-chasing mission will be extended until September 2016.

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On Tuesday, ESA's Science Programme Committee has given the Rosetta mission another nine months to study and explore Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, CBS News revealed. Though it was originally funded through the end of December, the adventure continues for the spacecraft, which may end with the dying mothership touching down on the comet and be finally reunited with its lander.

"ESA's Science Programme Committee has given formal approval to continue the mission for an additional nine months," ESA said.

The agency's Rosetta Project scientist, Matt Taylor, said that the extended space expedition mission is good news for science since they will be able to monitor the decline in the comet's activity as it moves away from the sun again.

"We'll have the opportunity to fly closer to the comet to continue collecting more unique data," Taylor stated. "By comparing detailed before and after data, we'll have a much better understanding of how comets evolve during their lifetimes."

ESA's daring Rosetta mission has been applauded as a momentous breakthrough in space exploration. It is an operation composed of an orbiter and a lander which seeks to unveil the deep secrets of comets that are primordial clusters of ice and dust that may give an insight on how life developed on Earth, ABC News has learned.

Following a 10-year chase, the Rosetta spacecraft and its Philae lander caught up with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. In November 2014, Rosetta deployed its comet lander, Philae, to the surface of Comet 67P, making its first comet touchdown in space history. While it was able to send data back to Earth after almost 60 hours of establishing communication, its batteries ran out, forcing its systems to shut down, as previously reported.

Seven months after losing contact with Philae, ESA's comet lander has finally communicated back to planet Earth on June 13. The agency confirmed that the probe was able to send a signal back to Earth after its solar panels absorbed enough light from the sun. Philae has since continued establishing communication back home.

Meanwhile, scientists hope both Rosetta and Philae will have a grandstand view when Comet 67P reaches perihelion, which is its closest point to the Sun, on August 13. As per Hindustan Times, the comet will then orbit back into deep space and begin another six-and-a-half-year trek around our star.

If all goes as planned, scientific operations would continue, which would allow Rosetta's instruments to gather unique data at unprecedentedly close distances.

Tags Rosetta mission, ESA, european space agency, philae lander, outer space, Universe, comet 67P, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko