News Rosetta right on track for Earth swing-by   Rosetta closest to Earth     13 November 2007   Preparations for Rosetta’s Earth swing-by scheduled for tonight, 21:57 CET, are well underway. The manoeuvre executed on 18 October 2007 has been accurate enough to not require any additional trajectory corrections today.   This means that the most critical operational procedures for the success of the swing-by are now over. However, the operations teams are constantly on the watch to make sure that nothing disturbs the spacecraft’s velocity and direction and that its stability is maintained throughout the observations.         Rosetta swings by Earth   The core observations will start only in the afternoon, but the instruments are already being prepared for the delicate procedures. The spacecraft has been pointed to certain areas in the sky for calibration and this will continue for about 24 hours. During the swing-by, Rosetta will first point to Earth and will observe the Earth-Moon system as a whole afterwards.     Listen to the update from the Spacecraft Operations Manager for ESA’s comet chaser.      •  Rosetta Blog (http://webservices.esa.int/blog/blog/5/)  •  ESA's comet chaser (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Rosetta/index.html)  •  Space Operations & Situational Awareness (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/index.html) Related ESApod  •  Rosetta swing-by update (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMDJF53R8F_index_0.html)  •  Rosetta Earth swing-by (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/SEM0F253R8F_0.html) Related ESA blogs  •  Rosetta Blog (http://webservices.esa.int/blog/blog/5/) For the media  •  Media Press Kit (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMJ09374OD_1_spk.html)  •  Rosetta 2nd Earth swing-by Q & A (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMUZ053R8F_index_0.html) Related articles  •  Images of Earth and Moon captured by Rosetta (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMXWN53R8F_index_0.html)  •  Rosetta swing-by a success (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMEFN53R8F_index_0.html)  •  Rosetta closes in on Earth – a second time (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMC20VOM8F_index_0.html)  •  Boosting the accuracy of Rosetta's Earth approach (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMKB9JJX7F_index_0.html)  •  Rosetta teams up with New Horizons (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMTUJN0LYE_index_0.html)  •  Rosetta delivers Phobos transit animation and 'sees' Mars in stereo (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM9R6N0LYE_index_0.html)  •  Rosetta successfully swings by Mars (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMVE2CE8YE_index_0.html)  •  Stunning view of Rosetta skimming past Mars (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMFTZM0LYE_index_0.html)  •  Rosetta lander measures Mars' magnetic environment around close approach (http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMFQ0N0LYE_index_0.html)  •  Beautiful new images from Rosetta’s approach to Mars: OSIRIS UPDATE (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMUDT70LYE_index_0.html) Related links  •  New Norcia - DSA 1 (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Operations/SEMGSDSMTWE_0.html)