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| Paper: |
ESA's Comet Orbiter Rosetta and Lander Philae |
| Volume: |
484, Outstanding Problems in Heliophysics: From Coronal Heating to the Edge of the Heliosphere |
| Page: |
149 |
| Authors: |
McKenna-Lawlor, S.; Schwehm, G.; Schulz, R.; Ulamec, S. |
| Abstract: |
Rosetta is the first mission designed to orbit, and deploy a
Lander onto the surface of, a comet, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
(67P/C-G). After an active Cruise Phase, which included three
swingbys at the Earth, one at Mars and two flybys at Main Belt
asteroids, the spacecraft is scheduled to orbit the comet nucleus
and, after careful reconnaissance, deliver to the surface, while
still at a distance of about 3 AU from the Sun, its Lander
(Philae). The Lander payload, which comprises ten onboard
experiments, will investigate the physical properties of the
cometary surface/subsurface, measuring in particular their
chemical, mineralogical and isotopic compositions. The lifetime of
the Lander will depend on the prevailing cometary environment. The
spacecraft will meanwhile continue to orbit and map the comet as
it advances along its trajectory toward the Sun, utilizing eleven
payload experiments to investigate how the comet becomes gradually
more active and how its interactions with the solar wind develop.
Post-perihelion Rosetta will continue to orbit, and make
observations of the gradually declining comet environment out to a
distance of ∼ 2 AU. |
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