Rosetta Lander - Philae: Operations on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, analysis of wake-up activities and final state

Paper number

IAC-16,A3,4,3,x33388

Coauthor

Dr. Stephan Ulamec, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Dr. Jens Biele, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Mrs. Cinzia Fantinati, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Ms. Valentina Lommatsch, DLR (German Aerospace Center), Germany

Coauthor

Dr. Koen Geurts, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Michael Maibaum, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Cedric Delmas, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France

Coauthor

Mr. Eric Jurado, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France

Coauthor

Dr. Holger Sierks, Max Planck Institute, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Laurence O'Rourke, European Space Agency (ESA), Spain

Coauthor

Dr. Carsten Güttler, Max Planck Institute, Germany

Coauthor

Dr. Cecilia Tubiana, Max-Planck-Institut für Solar System Research, Germany

Year

2016

Abstract

Philae a comet Lander which is part of the ESA Rosetta mission successfully landed on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 12th, 2014.  After several (unplanned) bounces it performed a First Scientific Sequence (FSS), based on the energy stored in it’s on board batteries.  All ten instruments of the Philae payload have been operated at least once.  Due to the fact that the final landing site was poorly illuminated, Philae went into hibernation on November 15th, but signals from the Lander were received again in June and July 2015.  However, various attempts to re-establish reliable and stable communications links, failed.

Analysis of the data gained during FSS, and during the contacts in June and July 2015 allows conclusions on the state of Philae.
By the time of the conference, images from the OSIRIS camera aboard the Rosetta Orbiter should have allowed the identification of the exact position of Philae and its attitude, relative to the local surface terrain.
The paper also gives an overview of the implications of Philae results for future engineering comet models, required particularly for the design of in-situ (landing) or sample return missions.

Rosetta is an ESA mission with contributions from its member states and NASA. Rosetta's Philae Lander is provided by a consortium led by DLR, MPS, CNES and ASI with additional contributions from Hungary, UK, Finland, Ireland and Austria.

Abstract document

IAC-16,A3,4,3,x33388.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-16,A3,4,3,x33388.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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