Readying Rosetta's Instruments

Date: Mon, Mar 24, 2014 | 07:30 - 07:42 GMT | 08:30 - 08:42 CET

Replay: Mon, Mar 24, 2014 | 16:00 - 16:12 GMT | 17:00 - 17:12 CET

Type: ESA TV Exchange

Format: 16:9

After its long deep-space hibernation, Europe’s Rosetta spacecraft woke up on 20 January to begin the final leg of its 10-year journey to comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

ESA's Comet chaser is approaching the Comet and will soon start seeing it.

Rosetta’s scientific eye, the OSIRIS imaging system, has been successfully reactivated. It is the first instrument on board Rosetta to wake up for checking and operation - helping the spacecraft celebrate ten years since its launch in March 2004.

 This video explains how OSIRIS (Optical, Spectroscopic and Infrared Remote Imaging System) will take its first look towards comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, leading up to producing high-resolution full-frame images by July. These images will help scientists reconstruct the comet’s rotation and shape.          

 The video also covers the role the OSIRIS images will play at Europe’s Space Operations Centre at Darmstadt, Germany, in planning Rosetta’s trajectory corrections towards the comet in May.

 It includes interviews with: Holger Sierks, OSIRIS Principal Investigator, in English (A-roll) and German (B-roll); Andrea Accomazzo, Rosetta Spacecraft Operations Manager, ESA, in English (A-roll) and Italian (B-roll).

More information at: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta

Preview and download:
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2014/03/Readying_Rosetta_s_Instruments

Script:
EbS96433.doc

Satellite Parameters: Eutelsat 9A at 9 degrees E, transponder 59, downlink frequency 11900.1 horizontally polarised, symbol rate 27,500 FEC 2/3.