ESA - ESA Spacecraft Operations - Rosetta operations

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Rosetta operations

The mission

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Credits: ESA

The Flight Control Team

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Andrea Accomazzo was SOM for Venus Express until 1 Dec 2006. He is now SOM for Rosetta.

Credits: ESA-J.Mai/juergenmai.com

Mission operations overview

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Launch of Ariane-5 flight V138 from the European Space Centre, Kourou, French Guiana, 19 December 2000.

Credits: ESA

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In this animation, Rosetta can be seen approaching Mars (red planet) and then swinging behind Mars with respect to Earth (blue planet) and the Sun (at centre), for a net reduction in velocity. Closest approach (250 km) is expected at 01:57:59.0 UTC, 25 February, +/- 1.3 seconds.

The animation clearly shows Rosetta swinging behind Mars to be eclipsed with respect to the Sun and occultated with respect to the Earth.

Credits: ESA - C. Carreau

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The Rosetta orbiter swoops over the lander soon after touchdown on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Credits: Astrium - Erik Viktor

The ground station
New Norcia

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New Norcia antenna

Credits: ESA

Ground segment & mission control system

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This mission uses SCOS-2000, the European standard mission control system developed at ESOC.

Credits: ESA

The platform and payload

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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

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The Philae lander at work on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. While Rosetta studies the comet from close orbit, Philae will obtain measurements from the surface.

Immediately after touchdown in November 2014, a harpoon will be fired to anchor the lander and prevent it from escaping the comet’s extremely weak gravity. The minimum targeted mission time for Philae is one week, but surface operations may continue for many months. The measurements from the Rosetta orbiter will last from August 2014 to the end of 2015.

Credits: ESA / AOES Medialab

More information

Rosetta overview Rosetta in-depth Rosetta Science Operations Centre Rosetta Blog

Images, animations

Ground stations

New Norcia - DSA 1

Launch vehicle

Ariane 5 Generic Related video

Rosetta brochure (PDF)

Philae Control Centre (DLR)DLR Rosetta special