Rosetta (spacecraft)

Rosetta
Rosetta spacecraft
Artist's illustration of Rosetta
Mission typeComet orbiter/lander
OperatorESA
COSPAR ID2004-006A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.28169
Websiteesa.int/rosetta
Mission duration12 years, 6 months and 28 days
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerAstrium
Launch massCombined: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb)
Orbiter: 2,900 kg (6,400 lb)
Lander: 100 kg (220 lb) [1]
Dry massOrbiter: 1,230 kg (2,710 lb)
Payload massOrbiter: 165 kg (364 lb)
Lander: 27 kg (60 lb)
Dimensions2.8 × 2.1 × 2 m (9.2 × 6.9 × 6.6 ft)
Power850 watts at 3.4 AU[2]
Start of mission
Launch date2 March 2004, 07:17:51 (2004-03-02UTC07:17:51) UTC[3]
RocketAriane 5G+ V-158
Launch siteKourou ELA-3
ContractorArianespace
End of mission
DisposalDeorbited
Last contact30 September 2016, 10:39:28 (2016-09-30UTC10:39:29) UTC SCET
Landing siteSais, Ma'at region[4]
2 years, 55 days of operations at the comet
Flyby of Earth
Closest approach4 March 2005
Distance1,954 km (1,214 mi)
Flyby of Mars
Closest approach25 February 2007
Distance250 km (160 mi)
Flyby of Earth
Closest approach13 November 2007
Distance5,700 km (3,500 mi)
Flyby of 2867 Šteins
Closest approach5 September 2008
Distance800 km (500 mi)
Flyby of Earth
Closest approach12 November 2009
Distance2,481 km (1,542 mi)
Flyby of 21 Lutetia
Closest approach10 July 2010
Distance3,162 km (1,965 mi)
67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko orbiter
Spacecraft componentRosetta
Orbital insertion6 August 2014, 09:06 UTC[5]
Orbital parameters
Periapsis altitude29 km (18 mi)[6]
67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko lander
Spacecraft componentPhilae
Landing date12 November 2014, 17:32 UTC
Landing siteAbydos
Transponders
BandS band (low gain antenna)
X band (high gain antenna)
Bandwidthfrom 7.8-bit/s (S band)[7]
up to 91 kbit/s (X band)[8]
Rosetta mission insignia
ESA Solar System insignia for Rosetta

Rosetta was a space probe built by the European Space Agency launched on 2 March 2004. Along with Philae, its lander module, Rosetta performed a detailed study of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (67P).[9][10] During its journey to the comet, the spacecraft performed flybys of Earth, Mars, and the asteroids 21 Lutetia and 2867 Šteins.[11][12][13] It was launched as the third cornerstone mission of the ESA's Horizon 2000 programme, after SOHO / Cluster and XMM-Newton.

On 6 August 2014, the spacecraft reached the comet and performed a series of manoeuvers to eventually orbit the comet at distances of 30 to 10 kilometres (19 to 6 mi).[14] On 12 November, its lander module Philae performed the first successful landing on a comet,[15] though its battery power ran out two days later.[16] Communications with Philae were briefly restored in June and July 2015, but due to diminishing solar power, Rosetta's communications module with the lander was turned off on 27 July 2016.[17] On 30 September 2016, the Rosetta spacecraft ended its mission by hard-landing on the comet in its Ma'at region.[18][19]

The probe was named after the Rosetta Stone, a stele of Egyptian origin featuring a decree in three scripts. The lander was named after the Philae obelisk, which bears a bilingual Greek and Egyptian hieroglyphic inscription.

  1. ^ "Rosetta and Philae". NASA. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Rosetta at a glance — technical data and timeline". German Aerospace Center. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  3. ^ "No. 1 - Rosetta in Good Health". Status Reports. European Space Agency. 4 March 2004. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  4. ^ Baldwin, Emily (3 October 2016). "Rosetta impact site named Sais". European Space Agency. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Rosetta timeline: countdown to comet arrival" (Press release). European Space Agency. 5 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2 May 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference esa20140910 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "No. 2 — Activating Rosetta". European Space Agency. 8 March 2004. Archived from the original on 22 April 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  8. ^ Tanco, Ignacio; Castellini, Francesco; Pardo, Ramon; Munoz, Pablo; Hubault, Armelle; Francisco, Tiago; Eiblmaier, Matthias; Fantinati, Cinzia; Lommatsch, Valentina; Kuechemann, Oliver; O'Rourke, Laurence; Scuka, Daniel (20 November 2014). "We are working on flight control and science operations for Rosetta, now orbiting comet 67P, and Philae, which landed on the comet surface last week. Ask us Anything! AMA!". Reddit. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
  9. ^ Agle, D. C.; Brown, Dwayne; Bauer, Markus (30 June 2014). "Rosetta's Comet Target 'Releases' Plentiful Water". NASA / JPL. 2014-212. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  10. ^ Chang, Kenneth (5 August 2014). "Rosetta Spacecraft Set for Unprecedented Close Study of a Comet". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 June 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  11. ^ Bibring, Jean-Pierre; Schwehm, Gerhard (25 February 2007). "Stunning view of Rosetta skimming past Mars". European Space Agency. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  12. ^ Auster, H. U.; Richter, I.; Glassmeier, K. H.; Berghofer, G.; Carr, C. M.; Motschmann, U. (July 2010). "Magnetic field investigations during Rosetta's 2867 Šteins flyby". Planetary and Space Science. 58 (9): 1124–1128. Bibcode:2010P&SS...58.1124A. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2010.01.006. ISSN 0032-0633.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference science28102011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference FAQ was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference skytel20141112 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference skytel20141115 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Mignone, Claudia (26 July 2016). "Farewell, silent Philae". European Space Agency. Archived from the original on 25 December 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  18. ^ Aron, Jacob (30 September 2016). "Rosetta lands on 67P in grand finale to two year comet mission". New Scientist. Archived from the original on 14 July 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  19. ^ Gannon, Megan (30 September 2016). "Goodbye, Rosetta! Spacecraft Crash-Lands on Comet in Epic Mission Finale". Space.com. Archived from the original on 1 October 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2016.