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Rosetta

After many years of planning and conceptual design, initially in conjunction with NASA, the Rosetta Primordial Bodies mission was selected by ESA in November, 1993, as the third cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 space science program. The revised 1994 mission profile called for a launch in January, 2003 for a rendezvous with Comet Wirtanen in late 2011, remaining with the natural body through perihelion passage in 2013. The objective of the mission is to "undertake remote sensing of the nucleus and the near-coma and carry out in situ measurements of the surface using a small deployed instrument package" (Reference 104).(The original ESA-NASA plan envisioned a more challenging comet nucleus sample return.) Later, the surface instruments were separated into two surface science packages (SSPs). The candidate spacecraft bus is a variant of Matra Marconi's Eurostar GEO communications satellite. The spacecraft and payload are still in the definition and early design phase (References 104-111).

104. Annual Report, ESA, 1993, p. 34.

105. Annual Report, ESA, 1994, p. 29.

106. Rosetta Comet Nucleus Sample Return, SCI(87)3, ESA and NASA, December 1987 (historical project reference).

107. ESA's Report to the 28th COSPAR Meeting, op. cit., pp. 95-104 (historical project reference).

108. E. Battifoglia, "Whither Rosetta?", Space, August-September 1992, pp. 30-33.

109. C. Covault, "European Scientists Wary of U.S. Cooperation", Aviation Week and Space Technology, 22 March 1993, p. 22.

110. "ESA Approves Rosettan, Space, December 1993, p. 25.

111. M. Williamson, "Rosetta Holds Key To Comet Secrets", Astronomy Now, June 1995, pp. 49-51.

Sources and Resources

• Adapted from: Europe and Asia in Space 1993-1994, Nicholas Johnson and David Rodvold [Kaman Sciences / Air Force Phillips Laboratory]

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