|  | | | | | | | The cosmic billiard ball
Rosetta's 10 year expedition will begin in January 2003, with an Ariane-5 launch from Kourou in French Guiana. The three-tonne spacecraft will first be inserted into a parking orbit, before being sent on its way towards the outer Solar System.
Unfortunately, no existing rocket, not even the powerful European-built Ariane-5, has the capability to send such a large spacecraft directly to Comet Wirtanen. Instead, Rosetta will bounce around the inner Solar System like a cosmic billiard ball, circling the Sun almost four times during its eight-year trek to Comet Wirtanen. Whilst following this roundabout route, Rosetta will enter the asteroid belt twice and gain velocity from gravitational 'kicks' provided by close flybys of Mars (2005) and the Earth (2005 and 2007).
The spacecraft will eventually arrive in the comet's vicinity in November 2011. Rosetta's thrusters will then brake the spacecraft, so that it can match Comet Wirtanen's orbit. Over the next six months, it will edge closer to the black, dormant
nucleus until it is only a few dozen km away. The way will then be clear for the exciting transition to global mapping, Lander deployment and the comet chase towards the Sun.
| | Last update: 12 December 2002 |  |
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