The physicist and TV presenter Brian Cox has urged the government to take advantage of the enthusiasm and interest generated by the Rosetta space mission to encourage more youngsters to pursue careers in science and engineering.

Professor Cox, who has come to prominence in recent years as one the UK's most accessible authorities on physics, told the Guardian this is historic moment is a perfect opportunity to take stock of where policies are going wrong and to address them.

The European Space Agency launched the Rosetta spacecraft ten years ago on March 2nd with the specific aim of landing the probe on a moving comet.

A decade on, after journeying more than six billion kilometres, the spacecraft did just that – on August 6th, it touched down on the icy, dusty rock, albeit in a slightly haphazard way (it bounced a couple of times and is still not fully secure). Scientists hope that data generated by the probe will provide clues about the origins of life.

In his interview with the newspaper, Professor Cox, who described the landing as a "profound scientific achievement" said the seminal event has "captured the imagination".

"It’s on the front page of every newspaper. It’s being discussed – or it should be – in every science lesson in every school," he continued. "The next question [for schoolchildren] is: is it possible for me to do this?"

The problem, the expert says, is down to the misconception many children have about getting into science and engineering – a lot of youngsters simply think that carving out a career in these respective industries is out of their reach.

Prof Cox even went so far as to criticise the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), which are not working together. He argues both are proving to be obstacles in helping youngsters realise their dreams.

"They [the two departments] do not see it in as joined-up a way as they should," he told the Guardian. "When I go into schools and talk about working at Cern, a lot of kids have said: 'I would like to do that but surely there’s no way I could work at Cern?'"

One of the biggest flaws in policies, according to Prof Cox, is the emphasis policymakers put on economic impact. A lot of university and research funding is focused on this goal; as opposed to inspiring young people to achieve personal, more fulfilling aspirations. There are always going to be economic advantages to that.

"If I speak to the BIS, then there’s not a great recognition of the value of inspiration," he elaborated. "I don’t hear the Department of Education and BIS speaking with one voice to say there’s a pathway all the way through."

What is important is for the government, and indeed teachers, to make children and young people better aware of the fact that people who achieve seemingly impossible feats of ingenuity – like landing a spacecraft on a moving comet – are still human beings.

"They were people like you," Prof Cox remarked. "They did their work, they went to university and now they are landing on a comet! I suspect that there will be a few engineers and scientists in ten years’ time who would cite that as being one of the things that excited their interest."

Presently, Rosetta is delivering endless amounts of data via numerous onboard instruments, information which it is feeding back to earth. The technology behind the craft, which is about the size of an average washing machine, is state-of-the-art.

It comes with drills, ovens, cameras and sensors, all of which are focused on capturing and measuring different types of data. This includes the temperature of the comet, its surface composition and gauging whether amino acids are present. The latter is important for they are the essential building blocks of life.