The Final Year of the Rosetta Mission

Paper number

IAC-16,A3,4,1,x32192

Author

Mr. Andrea Accomazzo, European Space Agency (ESA), Germany

Coauthor

Dr. Paolo Ferri, European Space Agency (ESA), Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Sylvain Lodiot, European Space Agency (ESA), Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Jose-Luis Pellon-Bailon, European Space Agency (ESA), Germany

Coauthor

Ms. Armelle Hubault, Telespazio VEGA Deutschland GmbH, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Jakub Urbanek, Telespazio VEGA Deutschland GmbH, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Ritchie Kay, LSE Space GmbH, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Matthias Eiblmaier, SCISYS Deutschland GmbH, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Tiago Francisco, Telespazio VEGA Deutschland GmbH, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Andreas Rudolph, European Space Agency (ESA), Germany

Year

2016

Abstract

The International Rosetta Mission was launched on 2nd March 2004 on its 10 year journey to rendezvous with comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Rosetta performed comet orbit insertion on the 6th of August 2014, after which it  characterised the nucleus and orbited it, performing scientific measurements and observations from altitudes as low as a few kilometres.
In November 2014 Rosetta delivered the lander Philae to perform the first soft landing ever on the surface of a comet.  After this critical operation Rosetta escorted the comet throughout its orbit around the Sun, passing the perihelion in August 2015, and then heading again towards the aphelion. During these months Rosetta monitored the reduction of the comet’s activity due to the increasing Sun distance and the effects of the perihelion passage on its surface and activity characteristics. With the reduced activity Rosetta could fly again in proximity of the nucleus giving the scientists a second chance for measuring the comet environment and its evolution from close distances.
Rosetta will be again in a position to fly closed orbits as of spring 2016 and will continue approaching the nucleus till August 2016 when a final series of very close orbits will be flown; it is expected that it will be possible to fly at altitudes below 1 km from the comet’s surface.
Throughout October 2016 Rosetta and the comet will be in superior conjunction with the Sun and the Earth, preventing ground contact and all operations. After the conjunction period the spacecraft’s heliocentric distance will be such that not enough power can be generated to keep the spacecraft systems active. Therefore the mission will be terminated by the end of September , when Rosetta will be manoeuvered to a collision course with  the surface of the comet..
This paper will report the details of the last 12 months of flight including the second approach phase and the final phase of close orbits leading to the end of the mission.

Abstract document

IAC-16,A3,4,1,x32192.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-16,A3,4,1,x32192.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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