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The space probe has been studying the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet for two years.
In the end, the Rosetta spacecraft's curtain call was met with a sombre silence and then a brief cheer in the ESA's mission control room after it successfully crash landed onto the comet.
Earlier, Paolo Ferri, head of operations at the ESA, described his "sadness" at the mission's end.
Patrick Martin, who oversaw the ESA project, confirmed the spacecraft had successfully hit its target.
"I can announce the full success of this historic descent of Rosetta towards 67p and I declare the mission operation has ended for Rosetta.
"This is the culmination of tremendous scientific and technical success," he added.
"Flying to and around a comet for over two years as close as [within] a few kilometers, and more than 500 million kilometers from Earth, is a challenge - and we've done it.
"Farewell Rosetta, you've done the job. That was space science at its best."
is the ice and snow that comets are supposedly composed of?