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Rosetta

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Submitted By drdre7797
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ORBIT:
Rosetta has a complex trajectory which includes four gravity assist maneuvers (3 x Earth, 1 x Mars) before finally reaching the comet. On arrival at 67P Rosetta will enter orbit around the comet and stay with it as it journeys in towards the Sun.

MILESTONES:
To study the origin of comets, the relationship between cometary and interstellar material, and its implications with regard to the origin of the Solar System. The measurements to be made to achieve this are:

Global characterisation of the nucleus, determination of dynamic properties, surface morphology and composition.
Determination of the chemical, mineralogical and isotopic compositions of volatiles and refractories in a cometary nucleus.
Determination of the physical properties and interrelation of volatiles and refractories in a cometary nucleus.
Study of the development of cometary activity and the processes in the surface layer of the nucleus and the inner coma (dust/gas interaction);
Global characterisation of asteroids, including determination of dynamic properties, surface morphology and composition.

Comets are important to study -- because their ice probably contains the same molecules present at the start of the solar system -- and also difficult to land on, because of their speed. The comet that Philae landed on is traveling around the sun at about 84,000 miles per hour. Even though it's only about 300 million miles away, the probe traveled about 4 billion miles to reach it, slingshotting around the Earth three times to build up speed.

As the comet approaches the sun (with Rosetta still following its orbit and gathering info, which it will do for the next year) Philae's solar panels may receive enough light to power the probe on. This is a tricky business: At some point (probably around March) the sun will make the comet too warm for Philae to function at all. There's a careful balance between battery recharging and total destruction here, but maybe Philae will squeak by into that window.

This ground-breaking mission hopes to improve our understanding of the origin of the solar system, by performing direct measurements on the rocky, icy surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which orbits the sun between Earth and Jupiter. In order to reach the comet, the Rosetta satellite has travelled a total distance of 6.4 billion km, gaining speed by swinging through the gravitational pull of Earth (three times) and Mars (once) along the way. Rosetta caught up with the comet in August 2014, and slowly entered a complex orbit.

Thomas Reiter – “this mission will unlock the secrets of our universe”, “ it’s aim, to unlock the secrets hidden within the icy treasure chest of the 4.6 billion years object, to study it’s make up, it’s history, to search for clues as to our own origins Jean-Jacques Dordain – “
Director General Solar system before the formation of the planets This is a big step for human civilization This biggest problem of success is that it looks easy Brigitte Zypries - Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy “The unusual shape of the comet has made its landing a particular challenge “ “No European country alone can realize a mission of this scale. We can only do it by working together”

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