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Rosetta starts tracking asteroid Steins

4 August 2008

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Asteroid Steins will be tracked by ESA's Rosetta comet chaser

On its way to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Rosetta is targeting two asteroids for study: (2867) Steins, on 5 September 2008, and (21) Lutetia on 10 June 2010.

Credits: ESA, image by AOES Medialab

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The Rosetta orbiter - spacecraft design
Rosetta resembles a large aluminium box whose dimensions are 2.8 x 2.1 x 2.0 metres. The scientific instruments are mounted on the 'top' of the box – the Payload Support Module – while the subsystems are on the 'base' or Bus Support Module.

Credits: ESA/AOES Medialab

OSIRIS to obtain Steins' 'light curves'

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Brightness variation of the asteroid measured continuously over one day. The maximum in the light curve is about 23 percent brighter than the minimum.

Credits: Stefano Mottola (DLR), OSIRIS team

ESA's comet chaser

Spacecraft Operations

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OSIRIS (Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System)Debris of the Solar System: Asteroids Asteroids: The discovery of asteroids Asteroids: Families of asteroids Asteroids: Structure and composition of asteroids