Timeline: Mars swingby at 36 000 km/hr

Animated sequence illustrating Rosetta's slew

Rosetta is expected to pass the Red Planet at 250 km altitude and 36 191 km/hr with respect to Mars at closest approach. The swingby should reduce Rosetta's velocity with respect to the Sun by 7887 km/hr, and the spacecraft should depart Mars travelling at 78 779 km/hr relative to the Sun.
 
 
Timeline of major activities
 
Note: Times shown are ground event times in Central European Time, equivalent to UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) + 1 hour. Spacecraft event time is 17 mins 33 secs earlier.
 
 
23 February
 

17:32	First of a series of slew manoeuvres to perform instrument calibrations
19:30	Flight Control Team in ESOC's Main Control Room (MCR) around the clock

24 February
 
 

	View from Earth: Rosetta passing Mars

~14:00

Webcam in MCR switched on (access via link at right)

18:35	Additional slew manoeuvres to perform Mars observations with onboard instruments
22:30	End of observations until after Mars swingby

 
 
25 February
 

02:15	-- All payload instruments switched off; CIVA camera (onboard lander) remains in operation and scheduled to take images -- Loss of telemetry; S-band carrier signal remains
03:13	-- Occultation starts; Rosetta behind Mars -- Loss of S-band signal; no communication with spacecraft
03:15	-- Closest approach to Mars (250 km) -- Start of eclipse; no visibility for camera; no sunlight on solar panels
03:28	-- End of occultation; S-band carrier signal back -- Receipt of S-band carrier signal provides initial technical confirmation of swingby success
03:40	End of eclipse; sunrise above Mars
03:50	Start of Phobos and Mars tracking with additional scientific observations
03:52	-- Acquisition of telemetry (radio signal & data); full technical confirmation of swingby success -- Downloading of science data begins
After 13:00	Results expected to be available on ESA portal

 
 

	New Norcia: ESA's first 35m deep-space station

ESA/NASA interagency cooperation supports Rosetta
 
Increased ground tracking support has been scheduled throughout the swingby period.

In addition to ESA's 35m deep-space station at New Norcia, NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) stations at Goldstone, Canberra and Madrid will participate.

The two agencies often work together and regularly share tracking station resources.
 
 

•	ESA's comet chaser (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Rosetta/index.html)
More about...
•	Rosetta factsheet (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMJUZS1VED_index_0.html)
•	Mars Express (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/index.html)
•	Space Operations & Situational Awareness (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/index.html)
More news
•	ESApod (video) "Rosetta in critical Mars swingby" (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM7FNBE8YE_index_0.html)
•	ESApod (video) "Rosetta swingby" (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESApod/SEMQW1CE8YE_0.html)
•	Rosetta correctly lined up for critical Mars swingby (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMKRCO2UXE_index_0.html)
•	ESOC swings into action for Rosetta swingby (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESOC/SEM4DZC4VUE_0.html)
•	ESA's spacecraft managers: the 'Right Stuff' (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMG7BLKKSE_FeatureWeek_0.html)
More information
•	ESA Tracking Stations (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/SEM8YCSMTWE_0.html)
•	New Norcia location (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q &hl=en &q=31.048225%C2%B0+S,+116.191500%C2%B0+E &layer= &ie=UTF8 &om=1 &z=10 &ll=-31.048228,116.191406 &spn=0.791815,1.73584 &t=h &iwloc=addr)