Rosetta: Landing site search narrows

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Rosetta: Landing site search narrows

25 August 2014 Using detailed information collected by ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft during its first two weeks at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, five locations have been identified as candidate sites to set down the Philae lander in November – the first time a landing on a comet has ever been attempted.

Before arrival, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko had never been seen close up and so the race to find a suitable landing site for the 100 kg lander could only begin when Rosetta rendezvoused with the comet on 6 August.

Read more...

[Waspie_Dwarf]

I have up loaded the images of the landing sites to the Asteroids and Comets section of UM Space Exploration gallery:

• Philae candidate landing sites
  
• Candidate landing site A
  
• Candidate landing site B
  
• Candidate landing site C
  
• Candidate landing site I
  
• Candidate landing site J
  

[Waspie_Dwarf]

The first image in the post above "Philae candidate landing sites" actually comprises of three separate images. ESA has now released them individually and unannotated:

• Comet on 16 August ( a )
  
• Comet on 16 August ( b )
  
• Comet on 16 August ( c )
  

Edited August 26, 2014 by Waspie_Dwarf

[Waspie_Dwarf]

A new image:

• Comet On 23 August 2014 - NavCam
  

[Waspie_Dwarf]

It's been a while but ESA have finally released another new image:

• Comet On 31 August 2014 - NavCam montage
  

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Today we have four images I missed (the individual images that make up the montage from the above post) followed by a new montage and individual images

• Comet on 31 August 2014 – NavCam ( A )
  
• Comet on 31 August 2014 – NavCam ( B )
  
• Comet on 31 August 2014 – NavCam ( C )
  
• Comet on 31 August 2014 – NavCam ( D )
  
• Comet On 2 September 2014 - NavCam montage
  
• Comet on 2 September 2014 – NavCam ( A )
  
• Comet on 2 September 2014 – NavCam ( B )
  
• Comet on 2 September 2014 – NavCam ( C )
  
• Comet on 2 September 2014 – NavCam ( D )
  

[AZDZ]

Spellbinding!

I remember back in the olden days when Halley's graced the cover of Astronomy Magazine, I poured over those images with a magnifying glass trying to discern detail but now, here, the naked eye details are beyond my wildest dreams for how a cometary surface might appear.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Some more images.

The first is a ground-based telescope image of the comet, then we have more images from Rosetta. The second on the list, Comet on 5 September 2014, is a close-up and is amazing.

• Rosetta comet observed with Very Large Telescope
  
• Comet on 5 September 2014
  
• Comet on 7 September 2014 – NavCam montage
  
• Comet on 7 September 2014 – NavCam ( A )
  
• Comet on 7 September 2014 – NavCam ( B )
  
• Comet on 7 September 2014 – NavCam ( C )
  
• Comet on 7 September 2014 – NavCam ( D )
  

Edited September 8, 2014 by Waspie_Dwarf

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Just one new image this time, but an interesting one. This is taken from a camera on the Philae lander and shows the comet in the background and parts of Rosetta in the foreground.

• Rosetta mission selfie at comet
  

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Another new image:

• Comet on 10 September 2014 – NavCam
  

[toast]

Just one new image this time, but an interesting one. This is taken from a camera on the Philae lander and shows the comet in the background and parts of Rosetta in the foreground.

• Rosetta mission selfie at comet
  

Thats amazing!

Edited September 11, 2014 by toast

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Thats amazing!

That's not the first selfie that Rosetta/Philae has taken.

Back in 2007 it took a similar image (this time in colour) as it passed over Mars. See THIS POST from 2008.

[toast]

That's not the first selfie that Rosetta/Philae has taken.

Back in 2007 it took a similar image (this time in colour) as it passed over Mars. See THIS POST from 2008.

Thats nice as well but the other is so, how to say, its so "Kubrick".

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Rosetta landing site choices

On 15 September the Rosetta mission will announce the primary and back up landing sites for comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The film previews the five shortlisted landing sites, why they were selected and how the comet’s unusual ‘duck’ shape affected the choice.

The Rosetta orbiter has been studying the comet since May and choosing the right place to land is crucial in order to examine the comet further. The orbiter’s data – together with that from the Philae lander – will provide unprecedented insights into our solar system.

The film also covers the preparation by scientists, members of the mission control team at the European Space Operations Centre at Darmstadt, in Germany, and the challenges ahead.

More background information can be found on: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta

Credit: ESA

Source: ESA - Space in Videos

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Philae’s descent and science on the surface

The animation begins with the deployment of Philae from Rosetta at comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in November 2014. It will take several hours for to reach the surface. Because of the comet’s extremely low gravity, landing gear will absorb the small forces of landing while ice screws in the probe’s feet and a harpoon system will lock the probe to the surface. At the same time a thruster on top of the lander will push it down to counteract the impulse of the harpoon imparted in the opposite direction. Once it is anchored to the comet, the lander will begin its primary science mission, based on its 64-hour initial battery lifetime. The animation shows a number of the science instruments in action on the surface.

Rosetta’s Philae lander is provided by a consortium led by DLR, MPS, CNES and ASI.

Credit: ESA/ATG medialab

Source: ESA - Space in Videos