Andrew Yee[_1_]
February 25th 07, 05:03 AM
European Space Agency
Press Release No. 07-2007
Paris, France 25 February 2007
Rosetta comet-chaser takes a close look at planet Mars
There was considerable relief today at ESA's Space Operations Centre (ESOC)
in Darmstadt, Germany. In the early hours, spacecraft controllers, flight
dynamics experts, engineers and scientists were able to see a spacecraft
playing 'cosmic billiards'.
Between 03:13 and 03:40 CET [0213 - 0240 UTC], ESA's comet chaser, Rosetta,
swung-by Mars at a distance of only 250 kilometres, changed direction and
then sped away from the Red Planet on a brand new path, continuing on a
journey that will ultimately take it beyond Jupiter's orbit.
Its final destination is comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which it will reach
only in 2014, after travelling some 6000 million kilometres in 10 years (its
epic voyage began on 2 March 2004 with a launch by an Ariane 5 rocket).
Rosetta will next be heading for the Sun, and its journey will require two
more swing-bys around the Earth, in November this year and November 2009.
Once at its destination, Rosetta will first deposit, from a height of about
one kilometre, a small but very complex lander on the comet's nucleus. This
lander, a sort of miniature chemical laboratory packed with sophisticated
instruments, will analyse the surface and provide information on the
nucleus. The Rosetta probe will then chase the comet for one year and
observe its nucleus as it continues on its trip towards the inner Solar
System at a speed of 135,000 km per hour.
There is still a long way to go, but so far everything seems to be going
exactly according to plan. ESA's Director of Science, David Southwood,
witnessing the Mars swing-by at ESOC with scientists involved in the mission
and the operations teams, said: "Interplanetary expeditions rely on very
complex communication links. ESA's mission operations centre here in
Darmstadt is doing a great job. I and all the scientists involved in the
mission are grateful to the experts who are taking such good care of 'our
baby'. And this is only the beginning. The true excitement of targeting and
releasing the lander on the comet's nucleus is yet to come. Today we have
reached another milestone on the way to finding an answer to questions such
as whether life on Earth began with the help of comets."
During the approach to Mars, instruments onboard Rosetta -- as well as on
its lander -- were switched on at predefined times to observe the
environment and take imagery of the Red Planet. In September 2008 and July
2010, when it is deep inside the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter,
Rosetta will also observe the asteroids Stein and Lutetia close up.
For further information, please contact:
ESA Media Relations Office
Communication Department
Phone: + 33 1 5369 7155
ESA/ESOC
Communication Office
Phone: + 49 6151 90 26 96
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMZAOBE8YE_index_1.html ]
Press Release No. 07-2007
Paris, France 25 February 2007
Rosetta comet-chaser takes a close look at planet Mars
There was considerable relief today at ESA's Space Operations Centre (ESOC)
in Darmstadt, Germany. In the early hours, spacecraft controllers, flight
dynamics experts, engineers and scientists were able to see a spacecraft
playing 'cosmic billiards'.
Between 03:13 and 03:40 CET [0213 - 0240 UTC], ESA's comet chaser, Rosetta,
swung-by Mars at a distance of only 250 kilometres, changed direction and
then sped away from the Red Planet on a brand new path, continuing on a
journey that will ultimately take it beyond Jupiter's orbit.
Its final destination is comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which it will reach
only in 2014, after travelling some 6000 million kilometres in 10 years (its
epic voyage began on 2 March 2004 with a launch by an Ariane 5 rocket).
Rosetta will next be heading for the Sun, and its journey will require two
more swing-bys around the Earth, in November this year and November 2009.
Once at its destination, Rosetta will first deposit, from a height of about
one kilometre, a small but very complex lander on the comet's nucleus. This
lander, a sort of miniature chemical laboratory packed with sophisticated
instruments, will analyse the surface and provide information on the
nucleus. The Rosetta probe will then chase the comet for one year and
observe its nucleus as it continues on its trip towards the inner Solar
System at a speed of 135,000 km per hour.
There is still a long way to go, but so far everything seems to be going
exactly according to plan. ESA's Director of Science, David Southwood,
witnessing the Mars swing-by at ESOC with scientists involved in the mission
and the operations teams, said: "Interplanetary expeditions rely on very
complex communication links. ESA's mission operations centre here in
Darmstadt is doing a great job. I and all the scientists involved in the
mission are grateful to the experts who are taking such good care of 'our
baby'. And this is only the beginning. The true excitement of targeting and
releasing the lander on the comet's nucleus is yet to come. Today we have
reached another milestone on the way to finding an answer to questions such
as whether life on Earth began with the help of comets."
During the approach to Mars, instruments onboard Rosetta -- as well as on
its lander -- were switched on at predefined times to observe the
environment and take imagery of the Red Planet. In September 2008 and July
2010, when it is deep inside the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter,
Rosetta will also observe the asteroids Stein and Lutetia close up.
For further information, please contact:
ESA Media Relations Office
Communication Department
Phone: + 33 1 5369 7155
ESA/ESOC
Communication Office
Phone: + 49 6151 90 26 96
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMZAOBE8YE_index_1.html ]