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The long trek
| The European Space Agency’s SMART-1 was one of three payloads on Ariane Flight 162. The generic Ariane-5 lifted off from the Guiana Space Centre, Europe’s spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, at 2014 hrs local time (2314 hrs GMT) on 27 September (01:14 Central European Summer time on 28 September).
Credits: ESA/CNES/Arianespace - Service optique CSG | |  |  | |
| | | | Earth fly-bys (2005, 2007 and 2009)
| During the course of its journey to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Rosetta, is making use of several gravitational ‘kicks’: one at Mars on 25 February 2007 (250 km distance) and three at Earth: 4 March 2005 (1995 km distance), 13 November 2007 (5301 km distance) and 13 November 2009 (2500 km distance). Manoeuvres to correct Rosetta's orbit take place before and after each swing-by.
Credits: ESA, image by AOES Medialab | | | | |
| | | | Mars fly-by (February 2007)
| During the course of its journey to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Rosetta is making use of several gravitational ‘kicks’: one at Mars on 25 February 2007 (250 km distance) and three at Earth: 4 March 2005 (1995 km distance), 13 November 2007 (5301 km distance) and 13 November 2009 (2500 km distance). Manoeuvres to correct Rosetta's orbit take place before and after each swing-by.
Credits: ESA, image by AOES Medialab | | | | |
| | | | Asteroids fly-bys
| Comparative sizes of asteroids.
Credits: courtesy Observatoire de Paris | | | | |
| | | | Deep-space hibernation (May 2011 - January 2014)
| | An artist’s impression of Rosetta waking from deep-space hibernation to rendezvous with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014.
Rosetta’s 11-year expedition began in March 2004, with an Ariane 5 launch from Kourou in French Guiana, and the spacecraft was then sent towards the outer Solar System. The long journey includes three gravity assists at Earth (2004, 2007, 2009), one at Mars (2007), and two asteroid encounters: (2867) Steins (2008) and (21) Lutetia (2010).
After the third Earth-gravity assist and a large deep-space manoeuvre, the spacecraft will go into hibernation (July 2011 – January 2014). During this period, Rosetta will record its maximum distances from the Sun (about 800 million kilometres) and Earth (about 1 thousand million kilometres). The spacecraft will be reactivated prior to the comet-rendezvous manoeuvre, during which the thrusters will fire for several hours to slow the relative drift rate between the spacecraft and comet to about 25 m/s.
Credits: ESA, image by AOES Medialab | | | | |
| | | | Arrival
| | An artist’s impression of Rosetta approaching the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
Rosetta’s 11-year expedition began in March 2004, with an Ariane 5 launch from Kourou in French Guiana. Using three Earth-gravity assists (2004, 2007, 2009) and one at Mars (2007), the spacecraft was propelled towards the outer Solar System. It has encountered two asteroids, (2867)Steins in 2008 and (21)Lutetia in 2010, and is now cruising to its final destination.
Rosetta will reach the comet in 2014, and will be the first mission ever to orbit a comet’s nucleus and to deliver a lander, called Philae, on its surface.
Credits: ESA, image by AOES Medialab | | | | |
| | | | Last update: 1 November 2004 | |
| | More about... RosettaRosetta factsheetRosetta press kitRelated articles Comets - an introductionHistory of cometary missionsAccidental space scientist: An interview with Gerhard SchwehmHubble assists Rosetta comet missionWhy 'Rosetta'?
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